A MOUNTAIN of old fridges which contain dangerous gases has been found in the Clyde, creating environmental fears.

The refrigerator graveyard was discovered by specialist divers, and is being tackled by a (pounds) 200,000 vessel introduced by the city council to clear rubbish from the river.

The fridges were found during checks on the condition of the tidal weir at the Albert Bridge near Glasgow Green.

It is believed they were illegally dumped by unscrupulous door-to-door salesmen offering collection services in the wake of new European regulations on the disposal of fridges.

The divers counted ''dozens and dozens'' of fridges, but with visibility of only one foot it has proved impossible to say just how many are underwater.

The Euro rules introduced last year require the removal of chlorofluorocabons (CFCs) from all discarded domestic fridges before they are recycled or destroyed.

Until banned, CFCs were widely used as coolants in refrigerator pipes, and in the foam insulation in doors and walls.

The chemicals are a prime source of ozone depletion which damage ecosystems, triggering the potential collapse of the marine food chain as well as destroying crops and forests.

Loss of the ozone layer also increases exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun which can cause skin cancers and eye cataracts. The dumping has taken place regardless of dangers from leaking CFCs and oil.

All fridges and freezers more than five years old contain the gases, and it is believed many of those in the Clyde are in that category.

A council spokeswoman said of the mountain: ''The speculation is that Glasgow residents are being conned by unscrupulous people offering to take their fridges for a small fee. Once collected, the fridges are fly-tipped around the city, including the river.''

She added: ''It appears the owners have not checked if a council service exists, and are being conned by being told we charge a lot more than they would. In fact, our domestic fridge uplift service is free.''

Friends of the Earth Scotland, the environmental pressure group which campaigned for the safe de-gassing and disposal of fridges, was shocked by their discovery in the Clyde.

Dr Dan Barlow, its head of research, said: ''It is most disturbing to hear that people are making money out of dumping fridges in such a haphazard manner.

''It is not only illegal but a potential environmental hazard. In addition to possible leakage of ozone-destroying gases, most contain oil - either as a lubricant or as part of the heat transfer.

''With councils offering free uplifts, there is simply no excuse for them being dumped in rivers or elsewhere in our countryside.''

The pressure group called on anyone with information to contact police or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and warned: ''Allowing people to get away with this could lead to dumping of more hazardous items in the future.''

The scale of the problem is large: in Glasgow alone some 26,000 fridges were legitimately uplifted in the year to April. Since then, another 20,000 have been collected by the council for storing before taken to a recycling plant in Perth.

It is estimated the number of unwanted fridges across Scotland containing CFCs was almost 300,000 when the new rules came in.

David Stevenson, convener of Glasgow City Council's environmental protection services, said: ''It's appalling how irresponsibly people treat the River Clyde.

''The gasses released by old fridges are causing serious environmental damage, and that's why we operate a free uplift service for domestic fridges.

''Illegal tipping not only damages the environment, it can cause serious problems for those that use the river. We urge anyone seeing illegal tipping to contact police and the council to allow action to be taken.''

Old fridges used to be exported to developing countries, sold as scrap or dumped in landfill sites, and after the new regulations there was criticism that the government was still poorly prepared to ensure chemicals are removed before disposal.

Glasgow was one of the first local authorities to act by opening a warehouse capable of storing 30,000 unwanted fridges for disposal.

What is in the river

THE St Mungo has collected more than 50,000 tonnes of rubbish since launched in September.

It also helped the Pride of the Clyde return safely to its moorings at the George V road bridge in Glasgow city centre after a log became trapped in its propeller during the passenger runs to and from Braehead.

The debris includes hundreds of Buckfast bottles, scores of settees, dozens of shopping trolleys - and even a white upright piano, lifted from the depths at Saltmarket.

The crew - boatmaster Ian Marshall and deckhand Alan Swift - has been warned to expect to deal with cars, cattle and sheep carcasses, and even human corpses.

It can scoop up to 100kg of debris at a time, while its barge holds up to 16 tonnes.