CLINICAL waste has been found dumped in the Meltham countryside.

The waste was in a yellow plastic bag marked Kirklees Environmental Health.

It was found on Monday by Derek Spence, who was driving on the B6107 Slaithwaite Road between Marsden and Meltham.

He saw the bag at the roadside.

Mr Spence, of Meltham, stopped the car to investigate and after seeing the label "clinical waste" he decided not to touch it.

He rang the police, but was told they could not help.

He then saw the Kirklees Environmental Health label.

He rang the council department, but was told they could not help.

Mr Spence said: "It shouldn't be there. It's been windy and raining up on that road, so whatever is in the bag could soon be spread about.

"For Kirklees to say it is not their problem is not good enough."

Mr Spence was so worried about the waste that he went back to the scene on Tuesday morning to see if it had been moved.

It had not, so he took two photographs of the bag.

A Kirklees spokeswoman said the bag was thought to have been dumped by fly- tippers.

She added that it was the council's responsibility to collect clinical waste and inquiries were being made into why Mr Spence was told this was not the case.

She added: "It is a free service for people such as users of home dialysis equipment.

"The waste can be such items as incontinence pads or diabetic equipment. There is also a limited number of commercial collections from nursing homes and schools."

She said council workers had now shifted the waste from Slaithwaite Road.