Gainsborough: Tonnes of rubbish removed from town centre garden

A chair, a mattress and a shopping trolley were just some of the items found piled up in a garden in the town centre.
West Lindsey staff start the clean up of rubbish at a High Street property.West Lindsey staff start the clean up of rubbish at a High Street property.
West Lindsey staff start the clean up of rubbish at a High Street property.

More than 3.2 tonnes of rubbish was removed from the rear garden of a house on the High Street, Gainsborough.

West Lindsey District Council staff had to remove the huge amount of waste and litter by hand, which was causing a nuisance to neighbouring properties.

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Coun Owen Bierley, Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee at the council thanked staff for clearing the site, where rats were active in the refuse.

He said: “We have dealt with five similar cases in recent weeks where we have had to do works in default of notices served on owners, to clear waste from land.

“However, this was by far the worst case our officers had come across. It took a number of council officers a full day to clear the site, removing 3.2 tonnes of waste from the rear garden.”

The council used its powers under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, legislation which enabled it to deal with verminous and filthy premises.

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Under this Act we have powers of entry onto land and powers to require land occupiers or owners to undertake works to prevent vermin (rats or mice).

Lesley Beevers, team manager for public protection at the council said: “This was one of the worst cases we have come across in a long time. But we are determined to tackle issues like this, which are an eyesore for the community.

“We have a further five cases we are progressing at the moment. One of our biggest issues is absent landlords (those who do not live in the area but have properties here).”

The council always tries to contact the owners to carry out the clean-up themselves. However, if this is unsuccessful they will use their powers to carry out the work themselves and charge it back to the landlord. It is estimated the costs up-to date on this one property is £1,000.

If you are concerned about a property call 01472 676676.