Stoke-on-Trent landlords targeted after rubbish dumped

The waste collected in the first week would have filled 85 skips, the council said

More than 90 incidents of rubbish being dumped on streets and at properties have been dealt with by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in just one week.

Its crackdown is focussing on "neglectful" private landlords who leave waste at vacant properties.

Twelve £400 fixed penalty notices were issued in the first week.

That included the owner of one property in Burslem, who left waste illegally outside their property, the local authority said.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said the actions of "neglectful landlords continue to blight" the area.

"We have private-rental landlords across the city who have multiple properties, and allow them to just become a dumping ground," Amjid Wazir, the councillor responsible for environment and enforcement said.