THE Belfast Hills Partnership has hit out at those responsible for persistent dumping on the Black Mountain.
Volunteers working for the conservation organisation have cleared dozens of black bags, tyres and other debris from the Mountain Loney in recent days.
Belfast Hills Volunteers Lizzy, Gail, Stephen, Linda & Daphne
Jim Bradley, from the Belfast Hills Partnership, said residents in adjacent Dermot Hill have been "plagued" by fly-tipping for years.
"We're just lucky that we've got a regular team of volunteers who go out and do clean-ups," he said.
"We've put up signs specifically about fly-tipping. We've been working with the immediately local residents who have been plagued with these problems for years and that just seem to continue.
"We have at different times put up cameras with independent companies as well as our own cameras with quite a bit of success.
"It seems to be that there's a significant deterrence from the signs and the cameras, but it's quite clear that this fly-tipping isn't an occasional or random thing that's happening. There are people who are doing this on a continual and regular basis."
He added: "Local people and the local landscape deserve far better."
Mr Bradley said the Belfast Hills Partnership is working with relevant stakeholders to find "long-term" solutions to dumping at our local beauty spots.
"We've been working very closely with Belfast City Council and trying to work out how to catch, particularly, these repeat offenders," he stated.
He warned those offering dumping services who may be illegally fly-tipping people's household waste.
"I would remind people that we all have to play a part in this, and if there is a link between material being dumped and themselves then just saying that somebody did it for £20 isn't going to be a defence," he said.
"If it sounds too good be true it may well be."