Legs found in carpark a funny side to a serious problem

A set of legs were dumped in a carpark in central Whangārei. Photo/Tania Whyte

A set of legs, a carpark and some blood-red paint. They were the perfect ingredients for a whodunit.

The scene started in a central Whangārei carpark.

White mannequin legs attached to a black mannequin torso found nestling among other items of rubbish scattered around the edges of a carpark on Selwyn Ave had people scratching their heads.

Quite how the legs got there is anyone's guess. One thing is for sure, they didn't walk.

However the legs do tell some sort of story, and show signs of being better loved in days gone by.

At some point what appear to be tattoo designs have been drawn on with a permanent marker.

Then later, red paint was streaked on to the legs from the knees down - perhaps for a Halloween-themed display.

One toe has been stubbed, and the same leg is no longer attached to the torso. On the other leg, the knee has suffered a graze.

It's unclear if these imperfections were why the legs were dumped or if the injuries occurred during the dumping process.

But no doubt the set of legs lying in a carpark caused a few people to look twice and probably induced a few giggles.

However, illegal dumping, also known as fly-tipping, is a serious problem in Northland.

Local councils and the NZ Transport Agency spend hundreds of thousands of dollars cleaning up rubbish dumped on roads.

Whangārei District Council waste and drainage field officer Grant Alsop said that in the 2017-18 financial year, Whangārei District Council spent $123,072 cleaning up fly-tips.