Mystery meat dumped in Stockport baffles residents

Residents collected large portions of discarded meat from a local park in a recent clean up effort.

Piles of raw meat have been left mysteriously abandoned around a town for months, leaving residents feeling "baffled and annoyed".

People in Stockport, Greater Manchester, have reported heaps of red meat and chicken dumped in the Reddish area, often on an almost weekly basis.

Labour candidate for Reddish South Joanna Williams said the "strange phenomenon" was causing concern.

Stockport Council said it had arranged to clean up the meat when reported.

Sightings have mostly come from around the Manchester Road Park area and Whitehill industrial estate, but also near the Heaton Moor train station.

Ms Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service residents were starting to worry about the potential reasons behind the "bizarre behaviour".

Stockport residents have shared images of the meat on social media

"People are really worried about it, about whether there's any poison in it and if it's intended for dogs who might get sick if they eat it," the councillor said.

"My opinion, if I'm honest, is that it's businesses cutting costs on legitimate disposal practices during the cost of living crises and they may be unaware that what they are doing is essentially fly tipping even though the product might be seen as biodegradable."

Labour candidate for Reddish South Joanna Williams has passed concerns to police

Stockport councillor Frankie Singleton, a Liberal Democrat and cabinet member, said the council is monitoring the situation along with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, and Natural England.

She said the authority had received no reports since before Christmas and had not heard of any dogs or other wildlife falling ill.

The community found the meat mystery "very distressing and baffling", said Ms Williams, who has passed on community reports to Reddish police station.

Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.