An old kitchen and builder's rubble are among the items dumped at a fly-tipping hotspot near a level crossing.

More than three tonnes of rubbish was left by the railway track at the Thornwell Road level crossing near Wilmington.

The site is also not far from the busy stretch of the A27 which runs between Lewes and Polegate.

Network Rail said litter could attract rats to the railway, with the rodents then chewing on signal cables causing faults, delays and even accidents.

The items have now been cleared and an investigation is underway to find those responsible.

Tracy Partridge, level crossing manager at Network Rail said: "It's amazing what our maintenance teams uncovered during the clean-up operation - items cleared have included ripped out kitchen units which were dumped carelessly.

"We have a duty to the community to remove this blight from their area – but we would rather invest our time and money renewing and enhancing the rail network.

"This is why we urge anyone who has information about fly-tipping to call the British Transport police and help us fight this costly anti-social crime."

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates’ Court.

The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court.

British Transport Police (BTP) Inspector Jonathan Pine said: "Fly-tipping is sometimes seen as an eyesore or a nuisance, but it is a hugely anti-social criminal offence.

"It is costly to clean up and a purely selfish act. BTP work closely with Environment Agency colleagues to actively support prosecution of offenders using a variety of methods."

The area will now be monitored to remove further litter and crack down on fly tippers with the help of relevant authorities.

Anyone with information on fly-tipping offences at the site is being urged to report this to British Transport Police by calling 0800 405 040.

Some information has already been gathered on an incident at the site on January 31.

Wealden District Council Councillor Roy Galley said: "We are grateful to everyone who has responded to our appeal for information about this very dangerous environmental incident that occurred on January 31 at Thornwell Road level crossing.

"Our investigation continues. All fly-tipping is a criminal offence, but this one could have resulted in a serious accident."