'Disgusting!' Fury as pile of rubbish fly-tipped at Sandwell cemetery
A pile of rubbish has been fly-tipped near to some graves at a cemetery in Sandwell.
Waste, including a bed frame, two mattresses and the board of a basketball hoop, has been left strewn at Heath Lane Cemetery in West Bromwich.
Councillor Les Trumpeter, who represents Charlemont with Grove Vale, believes the gates of the cemetery should be locked to prevent future incidents of fly-tipping, which he described as being "rife" in the borough.
He said: "Part of this cemetery does fall in my ward. I can't believe people would consider fly-tipping in a cemetery, I don't know the mindset of people who think that this is acceptable.
"It is just beyond belief really. It is something that I am going to follow up with and see because I do know that the gates stopped being locked in lockdown, so it is something that I am looking at raising with the right people potentially at the next full council. The council are currently failing to secure cemeteries and green space.
"I just can't get my head around how people think 'lets go and do this in a cemetery' – it's quite rife at the minute in the borough."
Sandwell Council was then left with the task of cleaning up the mess and has since removed it from the site.
A spokesperson for Sandwell Council, said: "We are aware of fly-tipping at Heath Lane cemetery and have already removed the material illegally left there.
"We take a very proactive approach to identifying those responsible for waste and fly-tipping incidents in Sandwell. We clear fly-tipping incidents as soon as possible but thoroughly check for evidence, including CCTV footage, that helps us find the culprits so that we can take the necessary action against them.
"Fly-tipping is not just anti-social, it's a crime and is unacceptable. It can be dangerous, causes pollution and costs the taxpayers of Sandwell a significant amount of money to clean up."
Residents have since taken to social media to express their fury over the incident.
One person said: "What kind of person would think that was acceptable?!"
Another wrote: "Omg disgusting. Should be named and shamed. At least they (have) got cameras installed in there, hope they get what they deserve."
