A dangerous pile of shattered glass and builder's waste was dumped in the middle of the road.

Council workers were astounded at the audacity of the fly-tipper who left the huge unsightly mountain outside Brighton General Hospital.

Environment officers said children and pets had been put at risk by the crime, which may have been committed by a commercial operator. The hundreds of broken panes of glass and other materials appeared in Pankhurst Avenue yesterday afternoon.

Michael Logue, city enforcement officer dealing with environmental offences, said he was appalled by the behaviour. He said it was the worst case of fly-tipping he had seen in four years in the city.

Mr Logue said: "I am furious about this. There was a complete disregard for children who may be using the area.

"Ninety per cent of the fly-tip is broken glass. I am amazed that someone would have so little regard for children and pets."

The mess was cordoned off yesterday and council workers were due to return today to dispose of it safely. Mr Logue said: "It is council tax-payers who will have to foot the bill for clearing this up.

"It is a galling disregard for people in the area. It will cost somewhere in the region of £500 or £600 - probably more because it is dangerous waste so it will have to be cleared up accurately.

"It is just absolutely outrageous. In my years as an enforcement officer, I have never seen such disregard. It is almost in the middle of the road."

The council will try to track down the culprit and bring a prosecution.

A spokeswoman said: "Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. It causes a mess, can be dangerous and costs the tax-payer hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to clean up.

"Wherever possible the council tries to identify where the waste came from and/or who dumped it.

"People caught fly-tipping could be liable to prosecution, with a maximum fine of £20,000."

A spokeswoman for the South Downs Health NHS Trust said most hospital users had managed to avoid the mess as it was near the rear entrance and was not on site. The main entrance is in Elm Grove.