COUNTRY folk are being asked to keep an alert eye open against fly-tippers thanks to a new EU directive that has classified old household fridges as "hazardous waste."

The cooling systems of fridges are high in flouro-carbons, which is a major depleter of ozone, and from January 1 the EU has ordered that any old fridges must be removed for "safe disposal."

Trouble is, there are as yet few facilities in Britain for dealing with such gases and local authorities, which at present charge £15 for the removal of old fridges, may have to boost this to £40.

And this, says the Yorkshire branch of the Country Land and Business Association, may tempt householders to take their old fridges into the countryside - and dump them.

"A crisis is looming and it is very worrying," says regional CLA director Dorothy Fairburn.

Anyone spotting such dumping should note the number of the vehicle involved and report it to the police. Such acts carry very heavy fines if magistrates chose to impose them.