WHAT a horrible trick to play'.

That's the frustrated reaction to fly-tipping from Penketh and Great Sankey British Legion.

Around 30 bags of asbestos lagging were found stuffed down the back of the legion's poppy container, at the club in Greystone Road in Penketh.

It is not clear how they got there as the space behind the steel container is very narrow.

It is also not known when they were dumped, but members put a new roof on the container at the end of last year, and say the bags were not there then.

Les Murdoch, the legion's branch president, aged 94, said: "We are here to help the community and this is what happens.

"What a horrible trick to play."

Chris Whitfield, the concert secretary at the legion, said: "The building is used by the branch. That's where they do poppy collecting. Last year they raised £21,000.

"We make no profits. We have charity events, pensioners' bingo, the chess club. Now we have got the extra expense of clearing it up."

The police told the legion is not a matter for them. The borough council's environmental health department said it would be difficult to prove who might have dumped it.

Mr Whitfield added: "If anyone in the area can help us dispose of it, or has any information about who was responsible, could they call Fred Diprose, our branch treasurer and po