FLYTIPPING and rubbish has been a blight on the landscape for years and this article from 1969 proves it is age-old problem.

In this article hairdresser Les Bates was so annoyed by rubbish dumped on the Nash playing fields on Shear Brow, Blackburn that he decided to spend two days clearing the eyesore.

He lit a large bonfire at one end of the field and then the rubbish which would not burn he piled at the end of the field.

Mr Bates said: “The rubbish problem was just getting worse and worse and was dangerous for the children playing there, two of them are my grandchildren.

“I didn’t want the kids to be driven away from the playing fields because of the rubbish.

“While they’re playing there they are not doing any harm.

Mr Bates was looking forward to the day when St James and St Johns schools are drained and fenced off.