On a bright winter's morning, I set out with my trusty furry friends to clear another little beauty spot that had been targeted by flytippers.

There was the usual abandoned tent, a surprise microwave, and over a dozen identical cannisters... I was quite concerned to find that the cannisters contained Nitrous Oxide (NO²)

I was familiar with the much smaller 'bulbs' of NO² that were used to quickly inflate bicycle tyres, but these were on a commercial scale.

I decided to take as many as I could carry to the local recycling centre... they were heavier than I expected.

Once there, I spoke with two members of staff who advised that NO² was no longer accepted there, but was dealt with by the Council's Environmental Services., following its designation as a Class C drug.

I was also told that to have possession of NO², without a valid use, was illegal...!!

Fortunately, there was a little space left in the reception at the centre, so it was taken from me.

The Environmental Health Office was near by, so I called in to advise of the other fly tipping items, that I had left for collection.

It was a steep learning curve, but I now have a greater awareness when litter picking...