The death of a mayor from a town in the south of France has drawn attention to what has been dubbed a nationwide “scourge” – the illegal dumping of waste along roadsides, fields and forests across the country, reports FRANCE 24.
On Monday Jean-Mathieu Michel, mayor of Signes in the Var southern France was killed after allegedly being run over by two men in a van that he found dumping construction waste by the roadside.
Michel reportedly asked the men to reload the rubble. They agreed, but hit the 76-year-old as they drove off. The van driver, who claims it was an accident, has been placed under formal investigation.
But the problem of illegal dumping, or fly-tipping, is widespread across France, according to officials and environmental campaign groups – even though no official figures exist.