`Disgusting’ Offal Dumped in City Creek

THE sightless eyes in a dead sheep’s head greeted the Environment Southland staff member who investigated a pollution complaint in the Otepuni Creek near Invercargill on Sunday.

On further inspection, consents officer Stephen West found five bags of carcass and offal in the creek, with hooves, guts and heads spilling into the water.

Environment Southland compliance manager Mark Hunter said the grisly remains of what looked like a home-kill operation were removed by a council contractor, and inquiries were now under way to find out who dumped them over the Mill Rd bridge into the creek.

The four sheep had no eartags and, judging by the state of decomposition, the remains had been dumped in the water up to three days before they were found, he said.

The incident was not the first time that offal had been dumped in a stream in the Mill Rd area.

The “disgusting” practice polluted the water and was a potential source of disease for anyone who came into contact with it, Mr Hunter said.

Anyone who noticed suspicious activity around the Mill Rd bridge over the Otepuni Creek on Thursday or Friday last week is asked to contact Environment Southland or the police,

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