Fly-tipping street 'like living in rubbish dump'

Maria Meerstadt says it has been an ongoing problem for a year

Residents of a street with "reoccurring" fly-tipping have said they feel like they are "living in a rubbish tip".

Mattresses, furniture, TVs, and old pictures are among the items of household waste that have been dumped on Grenfell Avenue in Maidenhead.

Maria Meerstadt, who lives there, said it had been going on for more than a year and the current pile had been there for seven to eight weeks, and was growing daily.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council said it took all reports of fly-tipping seriously and urged people to report instances via its website.

Maria says that the rubbish has been there for seven to eight weeks

Ms Meerstadt said: “In the past we had a epidemic of rats and we’re worried that they are going to be back again."

She continued: “I get very angry about it - it cheapens our avenue.

"It used to be a really nice little avenue and now it's like living in a rubbish tip.”

She said the council had previously arranged for the rubbish to be taken away but recently “the council will do nothing about it”.

Another resident said that there had been rats and maggots in the past "when you have litter lying around it is not pleasant for anyone especially when you are living with children".

"It's been a nuisance and nobody seems to be doing anything about it," they added.

A Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead council spokesperson said: “Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence and we take all reports seriously.

“Particular hotspots are closely monitored, including by regular patrols, and we continue to encourage residents to report any fly-tipping via our website."