Rats move into Fred's old home

Rotting rubbish is attracting rats at the former home of Wolverhampton ring road tramp Fred.

Council chiefs say they do not know when the unsightly mess will be cleared away, but have promised to treat the former home of the 86-year-old with dignity.

Fred, real name Josef Stawinoga, was a much-loved figure in the city and lived on Ring Road St John's for some 30 years.

He was often seen sweeping leaves and rubbish outside his ramshackle tent before his death last week from pneumonia.

The tent has been taken away, but a thick layer of rubbish has been left under the bush next to his former home.

Now there are calls for it to be cleaned away.

Catherine Drew, aged 34, of Penn, said: "The area where his tent was has been tidied up but under the bush it is a real mess and I saw a couple of rats there running around as I sat in my car."

Regeneration boss Councillor Peter Bilson said: "It will be tidied up. The council is very keen to ensure it's done discreetly and with dignity.

"We're certainly on top of it as far as the environmental and health and safety issues are concerned."

Mystery has surrounded the past of Polish Fred, who settled in Wolverhampton after the war. Conflicting stories claim he was either a Polish soldier or an SS guard.

His death has prompted demands for a memorial to be erected.

A sub-group has even sprung up, calling for part of the Wolverhampton Ring Road to be named after him.