21-02-2025
Eccles cakes and almond tarts dumped on roadside
Mystery surrounds why someone keeps dumping individually-wrapped cakes by a main road in north Wales.
People living in Dolwyddelan, Conwy county, have been finding almond tarts, lemon tarts and Eccles cakes on verges by the A470 - still in their plastic wrapping.
The cakes have been appearing for several months, and though some have started to decay, others are still in date.
Residents have jokingly referred to a "phantom iced tart flinger", but also say it's frustrating because it is littering the Eryri National Park.
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People living north of the village started noticing the cakes towards the end of last year on a stretch of the A470 north of Dolwyddelan.
One resident, Paul Donnelly has spotted them regularly and picked them up while out walking his dogs.
"It's been going on for a few months now", he said, "though this week, we've had quite a major dumping".
"There were three earlier this week, and another two on Friday," he added.
"I didn't really notice them at first, but when the packaging started to get familiar, I noticed a pattern.
"The strangest thing is that they're still sealed in their packaging, and some are still in date – if someone's bought them, then why just throw them away?"
People have been discussing the cakes around the village of Dolwyddelan, and concluded they've almost certainly been thrown from a passing vehicle.
One person suggested the cakes may be the work of a "phantom iced tart flinger."
Another wondered if it was someone trying to get rid of stock past its sell-by-date, or about to go out of date.
The cakes are all from the same manufacturer, a brand called Margaret's Country Kitchen, based in Warwick.
Paul Donnelly added: "It doesn't feel like a publicity stunt for a brand of cakes, because some of them have been in an advanced state of decay when we've found them.
"But that's the more important point - however they got here, they're littering the countryside and making the verges look a mess.
"The village has a group of people - Doli in Bloom - who do regular litter picks, but roadside litter like this doesn't help.
"The plastic wrapping is bad news for the environment, as it won't decay. I just wish whoever is doing this would stop."
Margaret's Country Kitchen has been asked for comment.
