STAFF at the Dulcote Recycling Centre near Wells were praised at the most recent PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meeting.

"They come up to you and offer to help, and that's a good thing," said a member of the public at the meeting held at Wells Town Hall on May 28.

Mendip District Council enforcement officer Ian Glover agreed, saying: "Dulcote tip is the friendliest out of any in the Mendips. It's the best one in the area."

Mr Glover said that flytipping is the biggest problem his department faces, particularly from operators who take money off members of the public to dispose of waste, and then dump it illegally in country lanes rather than pay money themselves to dispose of it properly. He said that there is a rogue asbestos firm operating in Somerset at the moment that appears to householders to be bona fide, but the asbestos they are paid to take away is dumped in lanes.

"Make sure when you are getting rid of stuff you're giving it to the right person," he said.

"It's your responsibility to check they've got a waste carrier's licence."

He told the meeting that he now has a colleague working alongside him, so between them they will be able to set up more surveillance cameras, and act faster when they hear of flytipping incidents.

Already, he said, they had been able to clear about a third of the backlog of untaxed vehicles left abandoned on the region's roads.

Turning to the subject of buskers, he said that in Wells they play well, but play with amplified music that can last for four or five hours: "Although they produce a good tune, I'm sure that shopkeepers must get frustrated."

He was asked whether buskers can be asked to move on "if it's got intolerable after four or five hours", and said they could.

If a busker becomes abusive, he suggested stepping away, and taking a photo to send to him so that he could follow it up.

PC Darren Pearson told the meeting that the mobile speed detection unit had been out at six locations in Wells and had only caught one person speeding.

He said that the low figure may be because the locations of the speed units are published in advance, and are very visible when they are in situ, as is he when he goes out with the speed gun, so motorists are probably adjusting their speeds as a result.

He said that because of his temporary promotion to sergeant covering Street and Glastonbury for four months, he was being replaced as beat manager by Dan Williams, who will be at the next PACT meeting on August 13.