A COMMUNITY skip service run by a town council could be pulled for good as it has been “grossly misused”.

Tidworth Town Council had been offering skips in the community centre car park, in Wylye Road, but the authority said that the service might be scrapped.

The skips are usually brought in when the council holds a litter pick and members of the public are able to load their rubbish, but following its latest event the skips have been used extensively.

It is understood that the containers had become “dangerously overloaded” and were not able to be returned until they were at a safe level.

In a post on Facebook, the council wrote: “They are no longer for public use and would now be considered as fly tipping. There is CCTV and charges can brought [sic].

“Tidworth Town Council will not be able to provide this service again as it has been grossly misused.”

The skips had been provided as a gesture of goodwill, but following the trouble the council has had to hire a third to get rid of all the rubbish — at its expense.

Deputy mayor of Tidworth, Councillor Brian Pratt said that the skips are available from Friday to Monday, when a litter pick takes place on a Saturday, but on this occasion it is believed the council were given one with a smaller capacity than normal.

Cllr Pratt added that a decision on whether to provide the skips in the future will be brought to the council this month.

One resident posted on social media: “Such a shame that a brilliant opportunity is abused. I would have loved to have dropped a few small bits off but people just take the mick.”

Others said that the overloaded skips had become an “eyesore” in the car park.

Another commenter added: “It was a brilliant idea but it’s now ruined. Let’s hope that those who abused the use of these skips are found and dealt with accordingly.”