Fly-tippers were caught in the act as they tried to dump their rubbish on to Frodsham Marshes.

The men were spotted throwing rubbish from their white van on to the Cheshire beauty spot on Monday afternoon (7 December).

After being notified by local residents, police officers treated the incident as an emergency and due to their quick response the fly-tippers found themselves boxed in by the authorities near Ship Street, Frodsham.

The occupants of the vehicle had discarded a large amount of building waste into a ditch when officers arrived at the scene.

PC Tether, of Cheshire Police Rural Crime Team, said: "Not only has this ruined the natural area of the marsh, it has blocked a water course and potentially, the waste is now an environmental risk."

Cannabis was also found in the vehicle and has been seized, whilst the vehicle was taken by police using powers under the Environment Protection Act.

The investigation is ongoing, jointly between Cheshire West and Chester Council and the RCT, who are making a number of enquiries.

PC Tether added: "If you have any relevant information which could assist police and Chester Council with their enquiries please contact 101 with reference number IML-868271

"We are committed to jointly working with your community and with our partner agencies Cheshire East Council, Chester West and Chester Council and the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime across Cheshire."