This is the massive pile of rubbish dumped next to a Milton Keynes road

Instead, they think a member of the public has taken advantage of the illegal encampment and hoped the mess would be blamed on the travelling community.

Police and council officials worked last week to get the authorised encampment moved on from the verge along the V1 Snelshall Street.

A council spokesman said: "We understand local resident’s concerns...especially during the current lockdown where non-essential travel is not permitted. So we have been working with the group to provide a more suitable, temporary location."

He added: "The council’s environment team will provide a dedicated waste collection service if needed and will also review what sanitary facility provisions could be provided."

Passers-by had complained the members of the camp were not observing social distancing rules.

But over the weekend the travellers left the area, leaving behind a small pile of neatly bagged-up rubbish for the council to collect.

Soon afterward a "massive" pile of rubbish mysteriously appeared nearby.

One resident said: "It's been dumped along the A421, which was closed off by the gathering of travellers."

She added: "There was a letter in the pile of rubbish to a resident of Newton Longville and business card for a licenced waste carrier."

Another resident said: "It's a co-incidence that this rubbish appears right near where the travellers were staying. It seems to me that some crafty person thought they'd take advantage of the illegal camp and dump their rubbish, thinking everyone would blame the travellers.

"Fortunately they left some clues behind and I'm sure the council will be following it up."

MK Council has already several fines for fly-tipping in different areas of Milton Keynes over the past three weeks.

The offence is understood to have increased significantly since local tips were closed due to social distancing restrictions.