Mountain of rubbish causing 'misery' for neighbours

A mountain of rubbish in a front garden causing “misery” for neighbours will be cleared after a court order was granted.

The pile of debris on Peach Avenue, in Stafford, which includes furniture, rubble and wooden panels, has been left for more than a year and is attracting rats, according to residents.

Stafford Borough Council was granted a closure order by magistrates last Friday after the property’s tenant Steven Glover failed to comply with a notice ordering him to remove the waste.

Work to clear the site started this week and the order forbids anyone from entering the property for the next three months.

The council said it would bill the tenant or owner to recover the cost of the work, which is expected to run into thousands of pounds.

Councillor Ian Fordham, cabinet member for environment, said: “I hope this will bring an end to the misery this person has brought to the residents of Peach Avenue.

“It was crucial that we had the proper legal process in place to not only get this unsightly mess removed, but to ensure it did not happen on this land again.”

He said the authority had arranged for the house to be boarded up and anyone stepping foot on the property could be arrested.

“We will be working with the owner to make sure the house can be brought back into use and become a positive addition to the street,” Mr Fordham added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.