A Wallington woman is furious after Sutton Council time and time again refuse to clear fly-tips containing building waste, dirty mattresses and even used nappies.

Leanne Marsh works for Millwood Servicing and says for years now, people have been dumping their rubbish in the alley behind Danbury Mews.

"This area is now filled with this disgusting mess and obstructs the entrances to various business’s yards, storage units, residents who use this as access and children who play in the alleyway and ground behind the flats," she said.

"Our fleet cannot access our compound to pick up stock and check in with the office, this access is essential as we are a fire safety business who ensure that people are kept safe in their homes."

Your Local Guardian:

But when she and other residents go to the council, they are continually rebuffed.

"The various businesses and residents around the Danbury Mews area have tried to find a resolution for at least the past two years but are struggling with Sutton Council who are absolutely refusing to assist us," she added.

"We are extremely concerned and fed up with this public health hazard that is disrupting local businesses and affecting the families that walk through this alley to get to school.

"We’ve seen rats running from the piles of waste and even caught two drunks in a compromising act on a filthy mattress."

So why is the council not acting on this?

Your Local Guardian:

Well a spokesman for local authority said that because the area of land is not registered, that it is not the responsibility of the council to maintain nor remove waste or fly-tips.

"In order to preserve funds and to ensure there is consistency of approach in these instances, we do not clear material from land that is not registered," the spokesman added.

"Fly tipping is a criminal offence and thus there must be sufficient evidence for either a Magistrates or Crown Court in order to take action.

"Evidence is required linking a person(s) or a vehicle to the fly tip, for example a witness who can identify the person responsible or CCTV images.

"When evidence is found as to the person(s) responsible, then appropriate enforcement action will be taken.”

Your Local Guardian:

But Mrs Marsh doesn't think this is good enough.

"Something permanent must be done to clear this and it can’t be down to the honest, hard working small businesses and local residents that have to put up with this on a daily basis," she added.

"Our hands are tied for a solution and we’ve tried no end to get assistance.

"We refuse to pay for clearance ourselves as this not only confirms that we accept the fly-tipping, it actively encourages more once the area is nice and clean."