Locals hit out at 'disgusting' rubbish-laden roads

Viktorija Janusanyte said the rubbish on the floor was 'disgusting'

Residents have hit out at the "disgusting state" of their rubbish-laden back lanes.

Viktorija Janusanyte in Benwell, Newcastle, said she regularly witnessed people throwing rubbish from their upstairs windows on to the roads.

The 24-year-old said she was embarrassed about where she lived.

The council said it was doing "all we can" to keep the city clean but was fighting an "ongoing battle against a small minority who blight our neighbourhoods by fly-tipping and littering".

Ms Janusanyte said: "My family came from Lithuania to visit and I was very shy to show them where I live.

"In my country you never see rubbish on the floor, but here in Newcastle it is really bad."

All the rubbish in the back lanes was "disgusting", she added.

Kobra Dehbozorghi, who works in an Eastern European food store on Hampstead Road in Benwell, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the rubbish made the area feel dangerous.

"Everybody around here has kids, it is all families around here and it just feels dangerous for everyone," she said.

Kobra Dehbozorghi said the rubbish made the area feel dangerous

Newcastle City Council said it had taken several steps to improve the cleanliness of the region, including increasing bin capacity and talking to businesses about their waste storage.

“Making our city the clean, green and brilliant place we all want it to be requires everyone – businesses, local organisations, residents and us – working together to dispose of litter and commercial waste appropriately," a spokesperson said.

They also encouraged residents to report any waste issues to them.