THE debris in a Caterham "no man's land" is driving near-neighbours to distraction.
Broken vacuum cleaners, building waste, old tyres, a television and even a child's plastic car are among the mountains of waste which have accumulated in recent years.
The impromptu rubbish tip lies on a strip of land between Thomas Avenue and Cromwell Grove.
But uncertainty over who owns the land means the eyesore is unlikely to be removed in the immediate future.
It adjoins the back garden of pensioners Andy and Thelma Harris.
Mr Harris, 82 – who has lived in Cromwell Grove for the past 41 years – said: "The problem has only really got worse in the last two to three years.
"It's sad to see it like this, and it has got progressively worse.
"The land is fenced off so there is no access to the public.
"But still people get in and dump all sorts of stuff including mattresses and tins of paint."
Caterham district councillor Chris Botten, visited the site to see the eyesore for himself.
He said: "Residents are concerned it is both a fire risk and it is potentially polluting due to substances leeching into the soil.
"While the Harrises cannot see the waste as it is behind their fence, the concern is that as the pile gets higher it becomes more dangerous. It seems there are no powers either to force the owners to clear, or to remove. Meanwhile dangerous rubbish just festers."
Richard Coles, Tandridge District Council's waste enforcement officer, said it did not have the resources or the power to clear up the privately-owned site.
He said: "This is a difficult one for us which has dragged on.
"The strip of land appears to be an old access way between Banstead Road and Thomas Avenue.
"To date I have not been able to trace the owners of the land."
Mr Coles said he had traced four separate owners on title deeds dating back to 1968.
But he said these owners could not be traced locally – and if they had passed the land on to beneficiaries of their estates, the beneficiaries may not be aware of the site.
Mr Coles said they are considering approaching London and Quadrant Housing, who own properties in Thomas Avenue, to ask them to remind their tenants not to dump any waste there.
