'Dickensian' squalor blights Sheffield estate

Residents in Page Hall say problems with litter are attracting rats to the area

Residents on a Sheffield housing estate blighted by fly-tipping and rat infestations say they are living in "Dickensian conditions".

Shaun Outram said he caught up to three rats a day at his home and blamed the problem on a lack of street cleaning and anti-littering enforcement.

Mr Outram, who lives on the in Page Hall estate, said: "I'm frightened to death of infection."

City councillor Jim Steinke said the authority was "on the case".

Shaun Outram said he regularly catches rats in his garden

Mr Outram said the problem had been ongoing for several years but had escalated in recent weeks.

"Everybody you speak to has either got them in their house, seen them or caught them, it's ridiculous," he said.

"It's because of the amount of litter in the streets, the amount of fly-tipping and the rubbish in people's gardens.

"There's more litter in ten yards in this street than you will find on a full estate in other parts of Sheffield."

Fellow resident Ian Wallis said: "We're living in conditions that should have died out over 100 years ago, Dickensian conditions.

"It's absolutely disgusting and the powers that be that have let it get like his and are just shilly-shallying around these people that's dumping should hang their heads in shame."

TVs, furniture and clothing are regularly dumped on the streets of Page Hall

Residents have urged the council to take tougher action on those caught littering

Mr Steinke, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and community safety, said the council was committed to tackling the problem.

He said 80 enforcement notices had been issued in recent months and one man had been prosecuted over the state of his property.

He said: "I've been round here several times and seen the issue myself. We fully recognise that there is a problem and we are really on the case."