CANNABIS FACTORY KIT DUMPED IN RAT INFESTED ALLEYWAY
Waste now removed but families say it is ongoing problem
A MOUNTAIN of fly-tipped waste has been dumped in a rat-infested alleyway – including discarded cannabis factory equipment.
Stoke-on-trent City Council has removed the latest rubbish tip from Mulgrave Street in Cobridge.
But residents say the alley never stays rubbishfree for long.
Taxi driver Mohammad Abdulqabir has lived on the street for years.
The 56-year-old said: “I keep complaining to the council all the time.
“The latest rubbish was absolutely disgusting, there were rats everywhere. I’ve lived here for 13 years and it is always like this.”
Neighbour Sam Bartram says it is not unsual for her bin to be ‘kidnapped’.
The 42-year-old carer said: “As soon as it’s bin day, you take your bin out and you’re lucky to get it back.
“It gets kidnapped and filled up with random stuff again. It’s just an ongoing cycle that we’ve got round here, just rubbish.
“We have cats and rats going through the rubbish and it just makes it worse.”
She added: “The number of times I’ve called the council about fly-tipping is just unreal. “I’ve found drugs. There were just bin bags full of drugs round here.”
The council has seen fly-tipping rocket since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Latest figures show the council has received a total of 6,399 reports of dumped waste since the start of the first lockdown on March 23, 2020.
That compares to 4,990 reports over the same period in 2019/20.
Councillor Carl Edwards, left, cabinet member for housing and environment, said: “As a city with a strong sense of civic pride, we operate a strict, zero-tolerance approach towards fly-tipping.
“Anyone who fly-tips is the scourge of society. They are breaking the law, fly-tipping is a crime. Who wants rubbish tipped in their local area?
“We have had no reports of bins being stolen in this area and have only received one request for a new bin since January 1, 2021.
“If residents do need a replacement bin, they can request one by visiting our website www.stoke.gov.uk.
“We would like to remind residents that all waste should be placed into the bins with the lids shut, and not placed out in sacks.”