Calls for CCTV as fly-tippers use road as dumping ground

Craddock Street in Whitmore Reans has become a hotspot for fly-tippers.

In the last month alone settees, a bed, several fridge-freezers, a washing machine and even a kitchen sink have been left near to the junction with Dunstall Road.

And fed-up residents say black bin liners filled with rubbish are strewn down there on a weekly basis.

Sohail Khan, who lives on Craddock Street, said he has had enough of leaving his house and seeing junk blocking the pavement.

"It's become a regular thing and everyone who lives down here is fed up," he said.

"People know they can dump anything they like down here and not get prosecuted. We're sick of having the path blocked by junk and no-one doing anything about it."

The alleyway that links Craddock Street with Dunstall Road has also been targeted. Mr Khan said he had contacted Wolverhampton council on numerous occasions to complain about fly-tipping.

But as soon as the junk is collected another load appears overnight, he said.

"We need a long-term solution," Mr Khan added.

"I want to see CCTV cameras put in place so the culprits can be caught and prosecuted. Perhaps if they knew that would face a fine then they would think twice about leaving their rubbish in our street.

""There must be enough rubbish to fill a house. It's terrible."

The latest episode of fly-tipping saw two parts of a double bed and a three-seater settee dumped on the pavement near the junction with Dunstall Road.

The items appeared last Friday and were still there on Tuesday night. The Express & Star recently revealed that councils are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds cleaning up mounds of rubbish dumped everywhere from backstreet alleys to popular beauty spots.

Wolverhampton had 4,427 incidents of fly-tipping in 2014/15, costing the council £179,174 in clearance costs. There were 1,358 incidents of louts dumping rubbish on the roads, 1,109 incidents on footpaths and 838 on council land. A further 126 incidents were in back alleyways.

Wolverhampton's environment boss, Councillor Steve Evans, said: "There is no reason whatsoever for people to fly-tip. Our tips are open seven days a week and late in the week."

In Sandwell, there were 3,544 incidents, with a total clearance cost of £212,261. Rubbish was left on the roads 1,582 times, on footpaths 104 times and on council land 1,742 times.

In Walsall, there were 3,362 reports in 2014/15, costing £239,396 in clearance costs. Litter was dumped on the highway on 1,940 occasions, on council land on 708 and on footpaths on 31.

Dudley faced clearance costs of £45,326, with 238 incidents of white goods being dumped.

People fly-tipped on the roads a total of 135 times, on footpaths 449 times and on council land 126 times. Meanwhile, in Cannock Chase, there were a total of 416 reports, leaving a £23,846 bill.

Fly-tippers struck on the highway 85 times, on footpaths or bridleways 128 times and 167 times on council land.

High-profile instances include farmer Chris Inett, who dumped more than 150 tyres and blocked Bennett's Lane in Trescott, near Wolverhampton, and was ordered to pay almost £3,000 in fines and court costs in June.

Garden waste including trees, fencing and trellising had also been left, again blocking the road.