‘Giant’ rats are seen at fly-tip grot spot
BUSINESSES are demanding action after fly-tipping in Stockport’s historic Old Town has been left six months and become infested with ‘giant rats.’
Rubbish including furniture, bin bags, hypodermic needles and piles of wood were first dumped on Mealhouse Brow, in the town centre at the end of last year.
Shop owners in the area say they have made repeated requests for the council to come and clean it up but nothing has been removed and the rubbish is increasing.
And in the last six weeks they say it has become infested with rats but still no action is taken.
Alex Woolliscroft, 30, from Alz Barbers, is among those who have had enough.
He said: “It is disgusting, I can just about stick the rubbish but when you get absolutely huge rats running round it is vile and it doesn’t look good for a business.
“One of them was the size of a cat, it is the biggest I have ever seen. There’s another lying dead on the rubbish.
“We are in an historic area of Stockport and there are rats everywhere. I’m pretty sure it’s going to stop people walking up to the Market Place too.
“But nothing has been done, the rubbish has been pushed back a bit but nothing has been removed.”
Other business owners who have complained are Adrian Taylor, from Taylor Interior Design, Ben Williams, from Chambers skateboard shop, and Amy Sergeant, from Amy Sergeant’s Beauticians.
They say they have called the council’s environmental health team on numerous occasions and the first time was around six months ago. Latest figures for the Brinnington and central ward, which contains the town centre, show that from February 1 to April 11 this year there were 77 instances of fly-tipping found.
Caroline Simpson, Stockport Council’s Corporate Director for Place, said: “We’ve contacted the manager of the business where the fly tipping is located and requested that this is removed. Should it not be cleared by tomorrow, they will be served with an enforcement notice requiring it to be cleared by the end of the week. We’re also providing advice to the business to help them deter further fly tipping. We’re currently undertaking thorough inspections of food premises to ensure that hygiene standards are being maintained.”