ENVIRONMENT officers have spoken out about the risk of pollution and fires caused by the illegal dumping of cars and waste in woods and on moorland.

Statistics show an increase nationally and in most of the region, but two areas run counter to the trend - Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton where councils operate policies including the free collection of old vehicles.

Brian Walker, who works for the Forestry Commission in Pickering, said 55 cars were removed from forests over the last year at a cost of about £5,500.

"Cars are being dumped in popular public areas where children play, people sit and watch wildlife. It's a big problem. Cars set alight are a serious fire risk to woodland and cause high levels of pollution," he said.

"It's very expensive, and the money we are using to clear these cars is money we could use to improve the forest and create better access for the public."

He said it was just a hard core of people who were responsible for the dumping.

Another problem was fly tipping by people who did not want to pay land fill tax.

"We had one incident where a whole lot of good white cardboard and usable paper was dumped in the forest. It was all recyclable waste.

"What made it really infuriating was there are children's play centres which would have loved the stuff.

"Once, 500 tyres were dumped in one forest. Some people just don't care and some don't think."

The Forestry Commission has only a small team of officers responsible for 50,000 acres of forest and wood stretching from Darlington to Selby.

Mr Walker said: "I'm paid to manage environment and wildlife. These other issues are part of my job, but the more time I spend clearing up after people the more time I spend away from what I should be looking after.

"We work with the police, the Environment Agency and local authorities to try and react as fast as we can. But we find it difficult to clear things as soon as they happen."

He hoped changes being made to the vehicle registration process would make a difference and encourage people to get rid of cars in the proper manner.

Senior ranger Bernie McLinden, based at Danby, said the North York Moors National Park also experienced problems with cars being dumped.

"We get two or three a year at Danby Beacon. It's a big problem because if they are dumped and set alight on areas adjacent or actually on the moor, moorland could be set on fire too.

"There is not a lot we can do. We liaise with the police and land owners but there is rarely anything left to identify the car."

Recent research by the Local Government Association shows an average rise of 22pc in illegally dumped cars from 2000-01 to 2002-03 for each council across the country.

Over the last three years, Darlington Borough Council has seen a 15-20pc increase each year, with a disposal cost of more than £100 in some cases.

But Redcar and Cleveland Council has seen a year-on-year reduction from 1,476 to 897 dumped cars. Through its joint operation with the police, fire brigade and two contractors, reported abandoned vehicles are collected free of charge.

A reduction from 900 dumped vehicles in 2002-03 to 516 in 2003-04 was also reported by Stockton Council which offers a free collection amnesty service. Its enforcement unit has also seized more than 500 untaxed vehicles.