Bags containing waste feared to be contaminated with asbestos lay by a road for days after being reported to Fife Council.
Warning labels were plastered on the blue bags but the dumped debris remained in a layby of a single-track road near Kirkcaldy which is popular with walkers.
The rubbish discarded on the Jawbanes Road was reported to the council on August 20.
It was left at the roadside and marked as a danger while tests were conducted to determine whether it contained asbestos.
Last Friday it was confirmed the debris was not hazardous and it is believed the bags were uplifted on Tuesday.
One walker told The Courier it was very concerning that what could have been hazardous waste was left in open bags, potentially endangering passersby, wildlife and dogs which are often walked off-lead on the quiet, rural route.
They said: “We walk past here everyday with our dogs and have to make sure they are on their leads so they do not go near the bags.
“Last year we reported bags of dumped rubbish in the burn at this very location and waited at least 18 weeks for anything to be done about removing the waste which was potentially polluting the water.”
Photographs of the bags were shared on Twitter before they were removed.
9 days this asbestos has been sitting 2 feet from main road . Well done @FifeCouncil you always let us down #pollution #death #moneyfornothing pic.twitter.com/uqCDWf6OkZ
— Blue Kirkcaldy (@BlueKirkcaldy) August 27, 2018
Fife Council said a specialist contractor would have been needed had the material contained asbestos.
Dawn Jamieson, safer communities team manager, said: “We investigated a report of hazardous illegal dumping at Jawbanes Road last week and immediately arranged for the material to be tested.
“Results show that it is not asbestos and we therefore do not need a specialist contractor to dispose of it for us.”
The council’s parks team was notified so it could deal with the fly tipping.
Dawn said: “There’s no excuse for this blatant disregard of the law and of our outdoor environment.
“Anyone dumping waste illegally can be issued a fixed penalty notice of £200.
“Major offenders may be referred directly to the Procurator Fiscal and could incur fines of up to £40,000.”
