State of the streets: fury as flytippers dump 30ft mountain of rubbish outside Birmingham homes

Residents living by the rubbish mountain in Hockley say site has been uncleared for four years
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Angry residents are urging the council to take action to remove flytipped rubbish outside their homes which has grown into a stinking 30ft mountain of waste over the last four years.

Homeowners living on Ford Street, near to Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, say they have been left with festering piles of trash on their doorsteps since 2018.

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Parents are refusing to let their children play outdoors due to the rat-infested mounds of rubbish which has also left people too embarrassed to invite friends and family around.

Locals say shameless fly-tippers have been making their lives a living hell by repeatedly adding to the huge pile while the council has done nothing to remove it.

Piles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street, BirminghamPiles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street, Birmingham
Piles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street, Birmingham

When asked about the issue Birmingham City Council explained that the land where this rubbish has accumulated has been in private ownership since 2016. As such it does not come under the direct control of the council. However the authority has served notice on the landowner and if this is not remedied, the council said it is set to carry out the work and charge the owner.

Birmingham City Council added that it does not hesitate to prosecute flytippers and that people caught deliberately dumping rubbish in an unauthorised place face a fine of up to £20,000 or even prison. You can report flytippers here

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The shocking pictures around Ford Street in Hockley show the disgusting heap - which includes household rubbish, several sofas, mattresses, bin liners, chairs and piles of wooden pallets.

Residents of the street are now calling for CCTV to be installed in the area amid the growing problem as the city prepares to host the Commonwealth Games nearby.

Piles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street, in Hockley, BirminghamPiles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street, in Hockley, Birmingham
Piles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street, in Hockley, Birmingham

What have residents said about the flytipped rubbish in their own words?

Dad-of-four Arjan Singh, 44, who lives on the road in Hockley, said: "People are going to be visiting our city this summer and are going to see eyesores like this.

"What opinion do you think visitors are going to be left with when they see things like this? It is embarrassing.

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"It began four years ago and nothing was done to clear the streets and then during the pandemic it has just got worse and worse.

"There are rats running about, its absolutely disgusting. Its like being in the Third World yet this is supposed to be a modern cosmopolitan city.

"It has made our area unsafe and unclean - something needs to be done as the problem is getting out of hand and causing everybody a lot of stress."

Another female homeowner, who did not want to be named, said: "The mess is just horrific and stinks.

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"I won’t let my children play outside anymore because I’ve noticed rats running about and I think it’s a terrible health hazard.

"I’m also too embarrassed to ask my friends around to visit because I don’t want them to see the conditions I am living next to.

"But this has been going on for years now and still nothing has been done to clear it up. It makes me feel sick walking past it.

"The council need to install CCTV as our own doorsteps have become a dumping ground for fly-tippers and nobody should be made to live like this."

Piles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street in Hockley, near to Birmingham’s historic Jewellery QuarterPiles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street in Hockley, near to Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter
Piles of flytipped rubbish dumped on Ford Street in Hockley, near to Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter

What has Birmingham City Council said about the flytipping around Ford Street?

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A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “Ultimately, the responsibility for this situation sits with the culprits.

"Those who dump waste are environmental criminals, who are expecting others in our city to foot the bill for the disposal of their rubbish and unwanted items.

“There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, which shows no regard for the surroundings in which we all have to live and work - there are many legitimate ways to get rid of waste.

“We investigate incidents and do not hesitate to prosecute offenders, as demonstrated in the past by many high-profile court cases."

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The authority urged anyone with information on flytipping in Birmingham to give details at: www.birmingham.gov.uk/flytipping.

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