A washing up bowl filled to the brim with dirty motor oil will not be cleaned up on the grounds of public safety, despite being abandoned in Helston for more than a month, after it was deemed "not sufficiently detrimental" to warrant action being taken.

The bowl and its potentially hazardous contents are amongst an area of fly tipping off Meneage Street, on the lane that leads through to Penview Crescent.

The area, which used to house garages and is now being used for parking, was raised as a concern at the November meeting of the town council by Cornwall councillor Phil Martin.

Since then town clerk Chris Dawson and town warden Craig Bowcutt have both been to see the problem, with the latter contacting the environmental team at Cornwall Council to see about the removal of the rubbish, including the oil.

Mr Dawson told councillors last week: "Someone has obviously done an engine change, because the new bottle was lying there as well."

He then informed them that Cornwall Council had not viewed it as serious enough to issue a Community Protection Notice, which would bring about the clear up.

In an email to Mr Bowcutt, a community protection enforcement officer wrote: "To issue a Community Protection Notice ‘the officer must be satisfied that the conduct is having a detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature, on the quality of life of those in the locality, and that the conduct is unreasonable.'

"Also, the 'detrimental effect' must be present at the time of the issue and CPNs cannot be issued prospectively to prevent conduct yet to occur, or after conduct has ceased, unless there are grounds to believe it may recur as part of a pattern of behaviour so as to be regarded as 'persistent.'

"It is our opinion that the land in question, including the oil in the bowl, is not sufficiently having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality and as such we would not be able to progress down the CPN route."

When asked if she could also take a look, Cornwall councillor Judith Haycock agreed, but added: "It's private land though, that's the problem."