AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after tonnes of rubbish was flytipped in a Hampshire layby.

Shocked resident Derek Mason discovered the fly-tipped waste close to his home, near Winchester.

He said that paperwork with the address of The Galleon pub, in Christchurch, and a box full of menus and assorted fittings were among the illegally dumped refuge.

Winchester City Council (WCC) says it is aware of the flytipping incident, and that its contents are being investigated.

It is understood a skip at the Christchurch site may have been recently stolen, and the rubbish inside later dumped by the thieves.

A WCC spokesperson said: “We are aware of the recent fly-tip at Ovington and have retrieved evidence from the waste, which is currently being investigated.

“We treat fly-tipping extremely seriously and will work with our police colleagues to secure prosecutions where possible.”

Mr Mason said: “We live in a closed layby and a vehicle had reversed in from the main road, the A31, and just emptied its load and drove off again.

“It happened around 1.20am on Wednesday, January 30.

“I’ve got CCTV but because it reversed in at the layby, it didn’t actually drive past our property. So all we got was lights in the distance, about 100 yards away.

“It must have been a tipper lorry because there is about eight tonnes of junk that have been dumped.”

And it is not the first time the layby has been targeted in this way.

Mr Mason says he thinks the same people may have dumped rubbish at the same place about a year ago.

Raymond Blanc’s White Brasserie had submitted a planning application for The Galleon, Lymington Road, Christchurch, which has been closed since spring last year.

On the fly-tipping incident, Brasserie Bar Company marketing director Kathryn Coury said: “Although we are in talks regarding taking over The Galleon pub we are not yet on site.

“We can confirm that The White Brasserie Company is not involved in this incident in any way.”