The scourge of flytipping on a Middlesbrough estate has prompted alarm with one councillor saying: “It would take an army to clean this up.”
The rubbish littered around hotspots in Grove Hill, Middlesbrough has been described as horrendous and shocking.
Residents have seen waste removed, only for more to appear within days as they referred to the alleys and side streets going “back to square one” or “back to normal”.
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The remains of four fridge freezers lie behind Thorndyke Avenue, along with a shattered glass, a road sign, a tyre, a mattress, a shopping trolley seemingly filled with bags of green waste, an abandoned Sonic the Hedgehog toy along with bottles, boxes, cans and other detritus.
Some of the rubbish appeared to have been brought out into the street, with several cushions and a ladder scattered randomly on a green area.
Michelle Milner, 59, who lives on the road, has to navigate the rubbish on her mobility scooter and had seen its tyres repeatedly punctured on the broken glass. She said: “It’s terrible.
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“It’s always been like that. To me it’s shocking. I’m sick of it. Not just me, everybody. It’s horrible.”
She said she did not let her three grandchildren into the alley: “I don’t think they know that back exists. I’ve been out with a brush myself and tried doing it but I gave up.”
One resident said: “It’s atrocious. Very, very dangerous. There’s a big pile of glass, fridge freezers, piles and piles of rubbish.
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“It’s never cleared. You can clean it Monday and it’d be like that again Tuesday.”
Another said: “There’s always fires round there. The fire brigade came out straight away. I think it’s been about three times in the six-week holidays they’ve been out.
Ward councillor Joan McTigue said there had been alley gates there but they had “disappeared overnight”. She said: “I’ve seen children playing in here. These fridge freezers, they hide in them sometimes.
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“It could be nice. It could be a safe area for children to play in away from the road.”
The remains of a fire were found behind Laurel Avenue with cushions, large pieces of foam, a paddling pool and a heap of black bags piled up against a fence. “It would take an army to clean this up,” said Cllr McTigue.
She said had reported children playing on two sofas dumped off Woodville Avenue. Returning to the street, the insides of the sofa cushions appeared to have been strewn all over the side alley.
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She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service of the flytipping problem: “It’s absolutely horrendous. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“There’s kids actually playing on it. It’s dangerous. They sit on sofas surrounded by rubbish, there’s people jumping on it. It’s so sad.”
She suspected the dumping of the fridges might be irresponsible traders rather than residents. She suggested measures like a kissing gate at Thorndyke Avenue to allow only pedestrians through.
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She said she had reported the issues, but admitted it was difficult to see a solution to such a persistent problem: “I don’t know whether to push like mad to have these things cleaned up every day or so, or just think to myself, well what’s the point, it’ll be like that again tomorrow.
“I don’t know how to solve the problem. I can’t get the council to go in every day.
“I don’t think it’s right that children should play like that. I just think there should be a nicer way to live.”
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A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “Fly-tipping is selfish, irresponsible and unnecessary, and causes untold and costly damage to whole communities.
“We encourage members of the public to report all incidents to us so we can take the appropriate action and, where possible, prosecute those responsible.”
Anyone with information on fly-tipping can send details to evidence@middlesbrough.gov.uk or call 01642 726001. Fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and other offences can also be reported online, and residents can book online to dispose of large items at the Household Waste and Recycling Centre at Haverton Hill.
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