A HUGE mound of household waste which has been piled up and dumped at an industrial estate has left behind a foul stench.

The massive pile, which consists of rotten food and plastics, appeared outside a unit in Westmayne Industrial Park, in Bramston Way, Laindon, on Thursday night.

It is estimated that about three tonnes of waste has been left strewn across the car park of Federal-Mogul Controlled Power Ltd.

The unit has twice been targeted by flytippers.

Last year building materials were dumped and now about three tonnes of household waste has been left.

Joe Curtis, facilities manager of Federal-Mogul Controlled Power Ltd, discovered the mound of mess, which he described as looking like the Himalayas.

He said: “I am dismayed by it.

“It is a bit of a nuisance, but it’s happening everywhere.

“It is right outside our boardroom where we bring customers and it looks like the Himalayas from there.

“We are all running our businesses here and struggling, but we have had to arrange things to get it cleared and not dedicate our time to making the company successful.”

Similar incidents of flytipping also occurred last year after travellers set up illegal encampments nearby, although this is not believed to be connected.

David Baillie, operations manager of a marine wholesaler in the estate, said: “About three quarters of it has been moved, but it looks like they have run out of space now.

“It is not the first time this has happened, that’s the trouble with these sorts of places.

“This was all dumped in the Unit 4 car park, which usually has space for four or five cars.

“There is tons of the stuff, I reckon two or three and it stunk.

“This looked more like household waste, the stuff you put in your bins, like food and plastic waste.”

Mr Baillie believes the rubbish was dumped by a large truck, capable of moving such a vast amount of waste quickly.

He added: “The tips normally take the rubbish for free, it reeks.

“You wonder why they feel the need to do this.

“A couple of years ago they went right down around the back to the last unit and dumped a whole load of building materials.”

To report flytipping visit basildon.gov.uk/street. If the waste constitutes a lorry-load of waste or contains hazardous materials contact the Environment Agency on 0800 807060. Alternatively call Crimestoppers.