What a dump! Industrial scale fly-tipping blights Coseley
Fly-tippers are terrorising a neighbourhood with 'industrial scale' dumping of rubbish on a weekly basis.
As these shocking pictures show, huge piles of waste are building up on Edge Street, Coseley, which residents say have resembled a 'tip' and sparked health concerns.
Four communal bins are meant to serve the occupants of eight flats who do not have their own wheelie bins.
Matt Hunton, who has lived in the flats for the past four years, said the situation was becoming 'unbearable' with the amount of rubbish being dumped by fly-tippers.
The 41-year-old salesman said: "This has been on going for many months now.
"It is incredible as people just drive up and throw bags and bags of rubbish there.
"If it was the odd bag I wouldn't be fussed but it is furniture, food waste, nappies – it is horrendous and I have seen rats there which makes you worry about your health.
"I have made contact with the council and they are doing their very best to keep the area in question tidy but those who are dumping keep doing it.
"Sometimes it is so bad that they bin men cannot collect the rubbish and who could blame them?
"You will see from my photographs how bad this is getting.
"The bins get emptied on a Tuesday and it is guaranteed the fly-tipping will start again then continue until the next Tuesday so we are back to square one. "It is on an industrial scale and getting beyond a joke."
Mr Hunton said he has taken down car number plates of the offenders and passed them on to Dudley Council.
He says he has also challenged those responsible.
He said: "They just shrug and say there is nothing I can do to stop them. But how would they like it if I was to chuck my rubbish outside their homes."
At times the bins are so full Hunton has resorted to going to the tip to discard his own rubbish.
Dumping waste where it is not allowed is a criminal offence. Those found guilty could face fines up to £50,000 and even be sent to prison.
Dudley Council is working with the Environment Agency to crack down on waste crime.
Together they aim to reduce the amount of environmental damage caused by fly tipping and the negative impact fly tipping gives to residents and visitors to the borough.
The cost of fly tipping across the Midlands costs over £6 million to taxpayers every year to clean up.
