VOLUNTEERS have been busy clearing up a West Cumbrian beauty spot after tiles were dumped on the site.

Last week fly-tippers left the rubbish at Harrington Reservoir in Workington - just two days after volunteers had tidied up the site for emerging spring bulbs.

And on Tuesday they went back to clear up the broken tiles at the reservoir which has recently had an investment of over £180,000.

Raegan Blacker, of Workington Nature Partnership, took to Facebook to express her anger after she found the rubbish.

She said: "Getting a new kitchen or bathroom? Why not go and dump your tiles on a nature reserve that has just had £187,000 spent on its restoration and where volunteers work tirelessly each week to make it safe and welcoming for people and wildlife?

"This area was just cleared for emerging snowdrops, bluebells and daffodils."

She added children from Beckstone Primary School were due to come and learn about flowers at the nature reserve this week.

"We must think about the example this disregard for our natural areas sets the next generation and what kind of world we would rather be part of," she said.

Pictures of the broken tiles scattered around the reservoir outraged residents, who condemned the fly tipping on the social media site.

Pamela Mckay wrote: "Well done for highlighting what some individuals do, maybe they think their rubbish will just disappear? Or they may be happy to live beside a tip."

Catherine Ellis said: "Appalling. What a shocking lack of respect for anything."

Councillor Michael Heaslip, executive member with responsibility for environmental quality, said: "Fly-tipping is against the law and the council takes it incredibly seriously. We have a zero tolerance attitude towards this and we would encourage people to report any instances of fly-tipping to the council through our myAllerdale app."