‘Nightmare neighbours turned their garden into dump – our kids are falling ill’

Residents living on Peach Avenue, in Stafford, say their lives are being made a misery by the eyesore mountain of waste along the residential street.

Shocking photos show piles of debris stacked up on the driveway – including rubble, sofas, mattresses, wooden panels, fridges and carpets.

Homeowners say the mound of filth has been left to fester for over a year and is attracting rats and causing health problems for their children.

They claim the owner of the house has been collecting waste and burning it day and night rather than disposing of it at the local tip.

Angry residents have accused the local council of doing nothing to help despite the health hazard ‘absolutely stinking’ and being just yards away from a primary school.

One mum-of-two, who did not want to be named, said: “I first complained to the council last August and it has just snowballed from there.

“In November they were able to confirm to me they didn’t have a licence to do this, yet nothing has been done.

“My son was poorly for five months and off school for eight weeks. He has asthma and couldn’t breathe.

“But they don’t care, they just carry on doing what they want.

“There’s rats everywhere, it towers so high I don’t know how it hasn’t fallen over yet and it absolutely stinks.

“There’s metal spilling out into the street, its not just confined to the garden, I’ve lost count at how any cars have had their tyres punctured.

“We have fires every day through the summer and winter. The fire service come out and then they relight them as soon as they’ve gone.

“I’ve driven myself insane with this. I contacted the Environment Agency yesterday and they were amazed the council hadn’t advised I contacted them a year ago.

“They should have been the first port of call but I’ve had to do all this research myself as the council have done nothing.

“Their customer service has been shocking. They’ve blamed everything from using agency staff to people having left the council.

“There’s also antisocial behaviour and parties until late at night. We tried contacting police but they’ve said its a civil matter.

“We’re at the end of our tether. Children have to walk past it every day on the way to school.

“It’s not safe. Its a major health hazard and its been allowed to rot for a year. There’s debris everywhere. He’ll come out and smash glass.

“I’m just so disheartened that we’ve been left to live next to this without anyone seemingly wanting to help.”

Another local resident, who did not wish to be named for fear or reprisals, said: “It’s been going on like this for about a year and nothing has changed.

“I have complained numerous times, as have many of us here, but all we’re told is that they are looking into it.

“A lot of residents are not happy at all, I know their direct neighbours have suffered with rat problems.

“There’s a primary school nearby with little kids and this thing is a health hazard.

“It has just grown and grown. They try and burn some of it and then the fire service comes out and tell them off, and then then burn it again as soon as they’ve gone.

“All this is in the front garden, so you’ve got smoke billowing into other properties.

“Just last week one neighbour staged a one woman sit down protest – everyone is angry nothing is being done.

“They say they will buy and dispose of your scrap yet it all seems to just end up in this garden.”

Jason Glover, who runs a rubbish removal business in Staffordshire, said he had wrongly been linked to the mess on social media and it was his brother who is responsible.

He said: “I’m based in Stone but people have been saying online this is to do with me and my business but I can say 100 per cent that is not the case.

“The house in Stafford is nothing to do with me and it’s my brother who lives there and he has a few issues.

“He has been doing his own thing with about 10 other guys and is bringing the rubbish back and burning it.

“But it has attracted fly-tippers too so not all the rubbish there is his. I’ve been getting threats online as a result.

“I’m just trying to protect my business. A lot of people have commented vouching for me but others have been quite nasty and I want to set the record straight.

“What he is doing is not linked to me or my company, I have five star reviews, I’m fully licenced and completely legit.

“I have tried to help him since he was a young lad but he just does his own thing. If you even tried to speak to him about this – he would just tell you to f**k off.”

A Stafford Borough Council spokesperson said: “This is an unpleasant situation for those having to live with this on their doorstep.

“As we are currently taking legal action to get this situation resolved, and prevent those from continuing to make the lives of residents of Peach Avenue a misery, we cannot say anything more at this time.”

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said they would be unable to comment as legal action is being taken.