Rail bosses told to clean up their act over waste

Network Rail says fly-tipped rubbish on an area of its land in Hull is an "eyesore" and has agreed to clean it up

Network Rail has agreed to clear up an area of its land after councillors raised concerns about "consistent" fly-tipping.

Boothferry ward councillors Maria Coward, Jack Haines and Alison Collinson wrote to company bosses about the rubbish, on land adjacent to Roslyn Road, Meadow Bank Road and Cardigan Road in Hull.

They said the "heavily littered" land was causing serious environmental and public health concerns for nearby residents.

A Network Rail spokesperson said they would clear up the "eyesore" as quickly as possible, adding leaving rubbish costs them money, which could have been invested in improving the railway for passengers.

In the letter, the councillors said: "This has been a problem for years without proper resolution, which has allowed further dumping and anti-social behaviour."

Haines added: "It was shocking to see the amount of rubbish that had been pilled up on Network Rail's land.

"We have been calling on Network Rail to fix this for years, they need to listen to us and local people and get this sorted."

John Dennison says he has had 20 punctures in his van in four months from the rubbish

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Haines said the railway track had become "a real issue".

Local resident John Dennison, 38, said he had seen everything from doors, screws and nappies in the rubbish.

"I have had about 20 punctures in four months," he said, adding that it would be a "relief" when it was fixed.

In their letter, the councillors also asked Network Rail to "implement preventative measures" to reduce future fly-tipping and to provide a contact officer who they can work with for "future co-ordination".

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