A CHARITY is spending half its income clearing up rubbish dumped on its land.
The Mark Kirby Trust was founded in Cottingham 300 years ago to put ten poor children through school, and today supports educational causes in the village through small grants.
But land given to it as an investment is now blighted by fly-tipping – and the trust is spending £1,000 a year to clean it up.
Mattresses, carpets and fridges have been dumped in ditches along the charity's ten-acre field in Middledyke Lane, between Cottingham and Orchard Park.
Trust chairman and Cottingham North councillor Geraldine Mathieson said: "It's been going on for years.
"People take rubbish round the corner and dump it where they think no one's looking.
"Since the 2007 floods, everyone's twitchy about the ditches and I can't just pull the rubbish out myself – it needs contractors."
The last clean-up cost about £600 and waste has to be removed twice a year.
The charity's income is from land where housing estates have been built.
It amounts to about £2,000 a year. It is the legal responsibility of the landowner to clean up their site.
Cllr Mathieson's colleague Ros Jump, also a councillor for Cottingham North, said the problem was causing serious strain for the trust.
She said: "This money should be going for charitable purposes.
"Our East Riding Council officers are doing everything they can but most of the land is unfenced and local authorities in the current climate can't be overgenerous."
Before the flooding almost six ago, building companies had bought options in some of the land with plans to develop it.
The boggy ground has been seen as an issue and future work there is unlikely.
The trust has no plans to sell the field and hopes to get animals in to graze.
