RESIDENTS are being asked to be on their guard for illegal dumping of waste in York.

The plea comes after a lorry driver dumped two sofas on to a verge in Acomb last Thursday afternoon. Other debris was left in the Askham Lane area, between Grange Lane and Vesper Drive, where the sofas were dumped.

Westfield ward councillor Andrew Waller said: "The items were quickly removed by the council, and the area cleaned up, but I would ask residents to be vigilant right across the city. Sadly this is happening too frequently."

He added: "In this instance if anyone has taken the registration number of the white flatbed lorry which did this, please could they either let the police or myself know.

"We cannot permit this to wreck the appearance of the city, and enforcement action is taken when we have evidence to track down the culprit.

"It is also in the interests of the legitimate waste handlers that these illegal operators are tracked down."