ASBESTOS has been dumped illegally near Halbeath.

The carcinogenic material was left on the flyover for Halbeath and Kingseat on Monday but has since been removed by the Safer Communities Fife team.

Safer Communities manager Patricia Spacey said: "We're aware that a large quantity of asbestos was dumped in this area and we've taken swift action to have it cleared.

"Asbestos is very costly to remove and requires specialist uplift and disposal. We'd encourage anyone witnessing incidences of it being illegally dumped to report it immediately, with as much information as possible.

"Fife Council cannot accept asbestos waste at its recycling sites; householders should contact a waste management company licensed for asbestos disposal to dispose of this kind of waste.

"We will investigate this incident and where evidence allows, we will consider what action can be taken against the individual responsible.

"There's no excuse for fly-tipping, which is a blatant disregard of the law and of our outdoor environment. No-one wants to see rubbish dumped and it has a direct impact on the condition of our roads, parks, wildlife and communities.

"We're grateful to the people of Fife for reporting fly-tipping and urge them to keep doing so using our online form at www.fife.gov.uk/flytipping"

Fife's Safer Communities team are still looking for information on who dumped the material and ask anyone with information on who is responsible for this to get in touch.