Yahoo News Residents anger over huge ‘nightmare’ pile of fly-tipped rubbish in middle of estate
A council has issued more than £3,000 in fines after fly-tippers dumped waste in a housing estate in Bolton.
A council has issued more than £3,000 in fines after fly-tippers dumped a huge mound of waste in a housing estate.
Shocking photos show vast mounds of rubbish carpeting the back alley between Back Willows Lane South and Back Dijon Street in Bolton. Fed-up locals described the pile-up as "the stuff of nightmares” after shopping trolleys, plastic bottles and rotting food waste were dumped.
Residents - who said the "soul-destroying" waste keeps growing despite weekly litter-picking rounds - have now called on their council to install CCTV cameras at the fly-tipping hotspot. A spokesperson for Bolton Council said they were investigating the illegal waste dumping problem and had already issued thousands of pounds in fines.
This comes after the council cracked down on fly-tipping in the area last month, resulting in thousands of pounds worth of fines being issued. Three days of action by the local authority's cleaning team and enforcement officers took place from 6-8 December.
The waste included mattresses, sofas, and fencing found dumped around Dijon Street, Daisy Street, and Croston Street. Throughout the three days, 13 individuals and three businesses were traced for fly-tipping offences and handed fines.
‘Stuff of nightmares’
Alan Johnson, resident and Green Party council candidate, said: "I had not driven by for a number of weeks and went to have a look on Sunday. It is the stuff of nightmares.
“This is one of the worst areas, despite litter picking team going out every weekend.
"[There are] not many fly tips especially in the area, but once people start doing [it], other people do it. Then it gets to the point if it is not moved they continue to do so.
"I want to know if it would be possible for CCTV cameras in that location. What residents want is to find out who the culprits are.
"It is soul-destroying having to put up with that.
"Councillors should educate people on what they can do, can't do and shouldn't do, and support them to get on top of it.
"There are a lot of black bin bags. The council could send up a team to scan through the bags [and] see if they can find information about the people who are doing it."
Local resident Mia Ahmadi said she was concerned every time she walked her dog near the dumping ground, fearing the pooch might eat some of the rotting waste.
She said the site was also attracting rats that were getting into her back garden, and she needed to board up her back door to stop them from getting into her house.
Ahmadi added: “It is awful because I have got a dog and she loves walking.
"Every time we come past here I have to keep her away, as she eats anything and definitely can't eat any of it."
“I want them to clean it up and for it to stay clean. CCTV would definitely be good, so we can see who is doing it. I have reported it going back months."
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “A request has been made for a clean up to take place. Unfortunately, this area is a fly-tipping hotspot.
“We are investigating this incident to find those responsible. On a recent occasion, we issued fines totalling £3,000 for fly-tipping offences in this area.”
Punishments for fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is when people illegally dump waste on land that is not licensed to take it. This is a crime in the UK and people who get caught can be given fines or even sent to prison.
The amount of the fine or the length of the prison sentence depends on how bad the fly-tipping is. People who dump small amounts of waste may be given a fine of up to £1000. But those who dump a lot of waste could be taken to court and fined up to £50,000 or even sent to prison.
To stop fly-tipping, the UK government has taken steps such as increasing enforcement and using cameras to monitor places where people often dump waste. Last year on-the-spot fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping were raised as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
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