This abandoned airfield is gradually disappearing under a growing mountain of junk.

However, the local authority can't tell anyone to clear up the land in Allerton Moor – or the small light aircraft left dumped there – as they don't know who the site belongs to or who the dumper is.

The hangar on the field now houses stacks of rubbish-stuffed plastic bags. A caravan, tyres, mounds of furniture and a discarded small van also sit idly on the site.

Refrigerators are supposedly stagnating in waterways and neighbours are getting fed up of the eyesore and two other similar sites nearby.

The aircraft left abandoned on the site is a single-engine 1950 PIPER PA-20. But despite its tail index being prominently visible, the identity of its owner remains a mystery.

A spokesperson for Sedgemoor District Council said: "We are trying to trace the owner of the land.

"But eventually, after exhausting all our options, we could go in and clear it under legal powers, but the cost would be picked up by the taxpayer. And that cost could be considerable."

Patrick Smith, chairman of Allerton Parish Council, said: "We have had a lot of problems with stuff dumped on the moors. The enforcement officers have been working on these sites for years.

"The parish council is aware and appropriate action is taking place. But the power lies with the district council."

If you know who the land owner is, or who dumped the rubbish, contact Sedgemoor's planning enforcement section on 0845 4082540.