Mountain of rubbish on one of ‘UK’s grottiest streets’ so big it can be seen from space
A pile of rubbish on one of the UK’s “grottiest streets” is so large it can be seen by Google Maps satellites.
Deykin Avenue in Aston, Birmingham, has been home to the “grot spot”, a rat-infested scrap heap, since it was abandoned there in 2021.
Residents of the road say fly-tippers have continued adding to the 100m patch of grime over the past two years.
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It is now seven feet tall and contains car parts, fridges, beds, and sofas, and locals say they’re worried the pile could catch fire and explode.
(Image: SWNS)
Rafay Mhmed, 27, has lived with his wife Amt-ul Qaddous, 28, and their two young children in a nearby flat for the last three years.
Mhmed said: “People are always throwing rubbish in the alleyway.
“All the rubbish dumping happens at night, so we never see who does it.”
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “People have said that this is one of the grottiest areas in the city – or even the country.
“It’s not safe. There are gas canisters in there and if they went up then it could be really bad as the houses are so close.”
(Image: SWNS)
Residents in the area are now demanding action and parents are refusing to let their children play outdoors in a bid to avoid the rats.
Qaddous added: “My children are too small to be playing outside at the moment anyway but if they were older I still wouldn’t let them because I feel it is not safe or hygienic.”
Another resident, John Scott, 83, has lived with wife Wendy, 79 and their daughter and granddaughter in a house near the pile of rubble since 1996 and said his family has “given up” trying to clear away rubbish.
(Image: SWNS)
The grandfather-of-three said: “I’ve done my part and tried to clean the rubbish but every time more piles appear.
“There is currently no access to the back of our house because of all the waste.”
Scott added that pleas for the council to do something about the issue have fallen on deaf ears and that landlords renting out properties in the area don’t seem to care about the growing pile of debris.
“The council are not bothered about the issue and haven’t done anything,” he added.
(Image: SWNS)
“Most of the houses around this area are rentals and the landlords don’t seem to care about the environment and just dump their rubbish in the alleyway.
“It’s a disgrace and something needs to be done.”
Councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham City Council cabinet member for environment, said: “Fly-tipping harms where we all have to live and work – and is carried out by environmental criminals that have no regard for our neighbourhoods or their well-being.
“Put quite simply, we share the concerns of residents and businesses, but the council does not dump waste on the streets. Irresponsible people do.
“We clear waste when on public land, investigate incidents and where we have evidence that meets the legal threshold, we do not hesitate to prosecute, as demonstrated in the past by many court cases.
“To prosecute we need reports and evidence and the most effective way to do this is to contact our Waste Enforcement Team directly.
Anyone with any information on any dumped waste in Birmingham should give details here.”
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