DORCHESTER has been left with a shortage of recycling points after a supermarket was forced to close its facility.

To make matters worse, potential users of the site are being redirected to a site that has relocated.

The recycling facilities at the town’s Tesco store have been roped off, with a spokesman for the store saying it was closed because people had been using the site for fly-tipping.

However, signs at the recycling point state that the nearest alternative site is at Charles Street, when there is no longer a facility there as it was moved to the Dorchester Market site with the development of West Dorset District Council’s new offices and the new Dorchester Library and Learning Centre.

Mayor of Dorchester Stella Jones said it was unfortunate that the Tesco recycling point had been closed and hoped an alternative solution could be found.

She said: “It is a shame because a lot of people from out of town go to Tesco, whereas they probably won’t go to other car parks in the town.

“It’s a very convenient place to put a recycling point.”

Coun Jones said she hoped an alternative site could be put in place to make it less susceptible to fly-tipping or measures could be put in place to ward off people from fly-tipping at the existing location.

The only other remaining facilities in the town, other than at the market car park, are at the Colliton Club car park and the Louds Mill household recycling facility.

Town councillor David Taylor said: “I am disappointed because of the lack of amenities now in the town – we have already lost the main one in the town centre when the Charles Street car park closed.

“As a community issue, with Dorset renowned for recycling, we should be leading the way and looking at improving options, not decreasing options.”

A spokesman for Tesco said the supermarket was forced to close its recycling facility due to ‘misuse’.

He said: “We’re disappointed that the misuse of the Dorchester store recycling facilities has led to us removing it from our car park.

“We will continue to encourage our customers to recycle at home and at other facilities.”