Council dumps over 100 bags of rubbish in town centre - but it is not as it seems

Visitors to Stafford were left bemused when they saw the 12-foot wide pile of bags at Market Square which had been cordoned off.

Some passers-by thought it was the doing of brazen fly-tippers choosing a prominent location as opposed to the typical country lane, while others even speculated it was a 'piece of modern art'.

But it was actually Stafford Borough Council workers who had dumped the bags there in the early hours of Friday morning to highlight the fact it costs them a staggering £1m-a-year to keep the area clean and tidy.

Equally alarming is the fact that the dozens of bags had been collected around the borough in a single day. They have since been removed from the town centre.

The cost includes ridding the streets of litter as well as dealing with fly-tipping cases, which costs £30,000 alone each year to deal with.

More than 150 people in Stafford have been slapped with on the spot penalties for littering this year.

The council has stated not only does it look better to keep the borough clean but it also helps attract business.

Councillor Frank Finlay, environment and health chief, said: "We wanted this pile of rubbish to shock people, to make them actually see the mess litter louts leave across our area.

"Hopefully businesses and the public will support us in trying to rid our area of the mess that an inconsiderate minority leave behind.

“We have a beautiful borough and want to keep it that way.

A clean borough attracts people and businesses to the area which is good for the economy.

"So we would rather work with our communities to keep it clean - but will not hesitate to fine or prosecute those who don’t.”

Tomorrow (Tuesday) the council will host an event in Market Square where stalls and displays will be set up to encourage businesses, schools and groups to back the campaign.