Yahoo News Fears over overgrown wasteland filled with 'dangerous plants and dead cats'
Fearful families have claimed dead cats, dirty beds and dangerous plants have been found in an overgrown wasteland near to where children play.
The disused patch of land bookends Didsbury Close in Kirkby and has been the subject of numerous complaints by local residents. Photos show a fenced off area with a gate opening onto 10ft high weeds and overgrown grassland covering assorted debris, heavy duty waste and swarming with flying insects.
Worryingly, residents have also reported seeing rotting animals and a dangerous plant.
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We spoke to Paul who has friends and family living in the area and he described the neglected patch as an 'environmental nightmare' right in the middle of a residential area. He said: "There's literally all kinds in there.
"There's hogweed, rubbish, beds and bugs flying around. Before the grass became overgrown, you could see dead animals in there. You can smell it.
"It's an environmental nightmare."
Paul said there are many people in the community who are angry about what has happened to the area and are trying to get the issues addressed by the landowner. Paul has also listened to the concerns of numerous local residents who are worried about their safety, the public health impact on the community and whether the wasteland has become a hazard - particularly the reported hogweed. He said: "I didn't know, but apparently hogweed can kill you and give severe burns.
"There's definitely dead cats in there as well as rats. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a nesting place for rats, but I can't prove that because the area is like a jungle right now."
Hogweed is a benign plant which presents no danger. What Paul believes he saw is evidence of Giant hogweed which is able to grow up to five metres high and is considered a danger to public health. Giant hogweed can cause severe burns, scars and even permanent blindness. Its sap is phototoxic which means people can blister easily when exposed to the sun and can even result in death for animals such as dogs.
Just last year, a six-year-old boy was rushed to the A&E department of Arrowe Park Hospital with suspected Giant hogweed-related burns after playing in the sand dunes around Leasowe Bay beach in Wirral. Another report in June 2022 detailed the story of a devastated dog owner who said his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier died after being stung by Giant hogweed in Port Sunlight River Park, also in Wirral.
It has not been confirmed if the plant found in the overgrown wasteland is Giant hogweed. However, local residents are understandably very worried about its reported presence and the risk it poses to children and family pets.
Paul said he appreciates the financial costs of maintaining land, but believes the area has become so degraded that something needs to be done as a matter of priority: "It has been left to fester.
"I don't want to cause trouble, I just don't want the area to be a tip."
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