THIS is North Yorkshire's largest illegal tyre dump.

The mountain of rubber is finally being removed after more than two years.

It now seems likely that the man who dumped 500,000 tyres on the site will not have to pay a penny towards their removal.

Instead, taxpayers will have to foot the £125,000 bill.

It will take contractors 18 weeks to dispose of the tyre mountain found on a piece of industrial land next to a village, only a few miles from Selby.

However, businessman David Singer, who was jailed for three months at York Crown Court last July for keeping waste tyres without a licence, was deemed to have "insufficient means" to pay for their removal unless Selby Council can prove otherwise.

The site, which contains 6,000 tonnes of used tyres, was revealed by the Evening Press last summer. Police and fire chiefs described the tyre dump as a disaster waiting to happen.

They warned that if the tyres caught fire, the black acrid smoke would result in the closure of a nearby railway line and major road, as well as posing a threat to surrounding villages.

The tip also sits on top of an aquifer, providing public drinking water, heightening fears of water contamination.

The Environment Agency also expressed concerns, saying if the tyres were "torched" it could lead to a major environmental problem.

It is understood it will cost more than £100,000 to remove the tyres. A further £25,000 has been spent on round-the-clock security guard patrols, which have been in place since last July.

The bill will be shared by Selby Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the Environment Agency.

The tyres will now be shredded and recycled.

Updated: 10:30 Thursday, April 21, 2005