A peaceful meadow has been blighted by flytippers who have been dumping rubbish in the area for the last month.

The back entrance of Scratchwood Open Space, in Barnet Lane, sits on the cusp of the Borehamwood and Barnet borders.

The area, also known as the London Loop, has been described by Borehamwood resident Karen Warren as a “beautiful” spot.

But for the last month, refuse from a bath, door keys, floorboards and carpet cuttings have been dumped at the edge of the footpath in three instalments, turning the area into an eyesore.

Ms Warren, who lives in Percheron Road, Borehamwood, has slammed the “lazy” flytippers for tarnishing the field instead of going to the nearby rubbish dump in Allum Lane.

She added: “It’s absolutely horrendous and I am so disgusted about it, because instead of being a lovely space to walk around in, it just looks chaotic.

“I love taking walks down here, but this really puts a whole downer on the whole atmosphere of the area.

"This is the worst case of flytipping I have ever seen."

The self-employed legal secretary says she is concerned the rubbish will attract rats to the area, and is disappointed that a public space is being turned into a health hazard.

She added: “I adore everything about the countryside, but this is just insane. I dread to think what will happen if it’s not cleared up – I suspect it will just get worse and worse.”

The 54-year-old assumed the area was maintained by Barnet Council, and first contacted them in June when some of the waste first appeared, but nothing was done.

Because the land sits right on the Barnet/Borehamwood border, there is some confusion as to which authority owns the site.

Colin Bowell, a priority intervention officer at Barnet Council, says the matter would be investigated by their team tomorrow (Wednesday).

A statement from Hertsmere Borough Council said: "We have had a report of waste dumped on land near the entrance to Scratchwood Open Space from Barnet Lane. Our environmental health team is in the process of investigating the situation."