Smithills resident's dismay as rubbish left for month

At the beginning of September, a blue Bolton Council bin was dumped on back Shrewsbury Road in Heaton.

The bin had been tipped over, with the rubbish inside it spilled out onto the street.

Residents say they reported it to the council at the time, but that despite having originally taken the blue bin away relatively quickly, it took until October 4 for the mess to be cleared.

Local resident, John Andrews, aged 80, says that, as well as the rubbish which was dumped, further waste was then added. 

The bin was moved relatively quickly, but the rubbish that came out of it was left behind (Image: Cllr Roger Hayes)

John said: "I was very annoyed with the council. We had already had a rat infestation a month before and one of my neighbours had to pay £46 for pest control to come and lay traps. 

"It was a council bin that had been tipped over into our back street, I think it came from the corner of Lincoln Road and Mornington Road.

"Somebody came to upright the bin and take it away, but the rubbish was still there. That is what got to me. It was September 7 when I first saw it, then it moved yesterday, October 4.

"I was away for a fortnight and then when I came home, there had been people adding black bins to it, which hadn't been there originally."

Residents say fly-tipped rubbish was added to the pile and left in place (Image: Cllr Roger Hayes)

He continued: "If you ring them up you just get passed from pillar to post. They said it could take up to three weeks, during which time we had to put up with the stench and mess."

Ward councillor Roger Hayes of Smithills said: "It was a blue bin with rubbish around it, they managed to get the bin moved for him, as I asked for it to be removed. 

"I wish they could have taken the rubbish away immediately, but I understand that those council teams are under pressure and don't have the power to get it moved as quickly as they used to."