Rubbish heap cleared after months of 'misery'

The pile of rubbish at the house in Stafford was left for more than a year

A pile of rubbish that was heaped in a front garden in Staffordshire has been cleared.

The mountain of waste on Peach Avenue in Stafford - which included furniture, rubble and wooden panels - was left for more than a year and had been attracting rats, according to residents.

A closure order was granted by magistrates earlier this month after the property’s tenant Steven Glover failed to comply with an order to remove the waste.

The cost of clearing the rubbish was expected to be thousands of pounds, Stafford Borough Council said.

Councillor Ian Fordham, cabinet member for environment, said: “I hope this brings 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.”

The council said it aimed to recover the cost of the work

He said the house had been boarded up and the council said it would bill the tenant or owner to recover the cost of the clearance work.

The work started last week and an order forbidding anyone from entering the property – including the tenant - will be in place for the next three months.

“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.