Fly-tippers are turning one town into a rat infested hell for residents, it's been claimed. Piles of rubbish having been piling up in the back lanes behind people's houses in Flintshire, often reappearing as quickly as the previous mess is cleared away.
And now people living in Connah’s Quay say the waste mountains are not just unsightly, they could also be a " breeding space for rats and mice." Some have also called for CCTV to be installed to catch those responsible.
Large mounds of items, including everything from sofas and chests of drawers to children's toys and prams recently appeared in a back alley between Church Street and Dee View Road in the town. A photo shared on a local Facebook page prompted outrage from residents who labelled it a "disgrace" and "absolutely disgusting."
Read more: Residents living among rubbish in one of Swansea's worst hit flytipping dumping grounds
North Wales Live reported that one person said, "So many out there are trying to make the Quay a nice place to live. Then a minority, who possibly have no links to the area or care about it, are spoiling things."
Another added, "The most annoying thing is that. it's a catch 22 situation. They dump it knowing that it won't get left there and they won't get caught. It's not fair on everyone who lives there. People just clearly don’t give a ****."
Flytipping has been a source of aggravation for the area’s residents for some time. Several have complained to Flintshire Council with varying degrees of success and, on Sunday, a large quantity of waste was removed from an area known as The Rock, which isn't far from the Wales Coast Path.
However others have reported similar flytipping in an adjacent alleyway but it has yet to be cleared. One resident claimed to have repeatedly alerted Flintshire’s Streetscene team to the problems. "They state time and time again it's unadopted, so are reluctant to move it, citing it's down to residents to sort," he said.
"I for one am not liable for moving someone else’s rubbish when I deal with my own responsibly. Fingers crossed it gets removed soon." Another resident told North Wales Live that fly-tipping is on the rise there, adding that it was easier for some to make disposing of their rubbish someone else's problem rather than deal with it themselves.
Flintshire Council was approached for a comment. Its website explains that the council aims to remove fly-tipped waste within 24 hours, though larger deposits may take longer.
Householders are advised not to touch the waste, disturb any evidence or put themselves in danger. Fly-tippers should not be confronted but descriptions of suspects and their vehicles can be reported, along with photos and witness statements.
The website states: “Two thirds of fly-tipping in Flintshire originates from households. If your waste is found to be dumped illegally, whether you know about it or not, you can be fined up to £5,000.”
Dumped waste can be reported to Flintshire Council’s Streetscene team on 01352 701234 or streetscene@flintshire.gov.uk. Its environmental protection team will investigate and, if possible, take enforcement action against offenders.
