The rogue dumpers left an array of items on the frozen surface of the Grand Union Canal’s Slough Arm near the border with South Bucks, and due to safety fears the rubbish can only be cleared now that the canal has thawed out.

The offenders are believed to have pounced on the afternoon of Sunday, January 21.

They left car tyres, road cones, children’s toys, a car seat and even an oven on the icy surface near Mansion Lane, Iver.

Volunteers who maintain Slough’s canal have slammed the behaviour of the dumpers.

Friends of Slough Canal (FoSC) member, Phil Wyatt, said: “It’s just an eyesore.

“It’s rubbish.

“There could be dangerous materials in there, like needles. When I was there I saw something that looked like asbestos that had been dumped.”

The ice was not thick enough for a volunteer to venture out and clear the rubbish so the Canal and River Trust (CRT) will be forced to use a boat to remove it. However as the CRT is a charity with limited resources there will be a wait until they are able to complete the clear-up. There are concerns that the larger items that have sunk to the bottom and will cause a hazard for passing boaters in the meantime.

Another FoSC member, Diane Richards, said: “We are very sad to report that in the recent freezing conditions a tiny minority has decided to use our beautiful canal as the local tip.”

The incident has been reported to Buckinghamshire County Council as well as the CRT.

Councillor Joginder Bal, commissioner for environment and leisure at Slough Borough Council, said: “We have decided to be very strict on flytippers. They will not be spared if they are caught.” The FoSC carry out a monthly clean-up of the towpath and water’s edge along the Grand Union Canal Slough Arm, with the next clean-up taking place this Sunday, February 5, starting from the Highline Boatyard in Mansion Lane at 9.50am.

Contact FoSC on 07542 168 444 for more information.