Fly-tipping surge as area dubbed town rubbish tip

Fly-tipping has "increased significantly" in a residential area dubbed as a "rubbish tip" for the town, according to a council.

West Northamptonshire Council said it was working to identify offenders and take action after items including mattresses were left strewn in Semilong, Northampton.

It comes as Farzana Aldridge, the Liberal Democrat councillor for the Kingsley and Semilong ward, described the area as "a rubbish tip for Northampton", warning the situation was at "crisis point" and calling for dedicated patrols.

In a statement, the Reform UK-controlled council said a "cleansing crew" attended the area "at least once a week".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councillor Aldridge said that "rotten food is attracting flies and vermin" to the area.

"This is worse than I've ever seen it. I'm horrified" said Aldridge.

"This level of fly-tipping is not about a very few local residents putting their rubbish out when they should not and a small number of anti-social and selfish tenants and landlords.

"There's no way in which ten mattresses dumped across two roads are actually from local residents. This is planned criminal activity and needs to be dealt with firmly."

The council said it used a "range of methods" to investigate and tackle fly-tipping and would take enforcement action "where there is sufficient evidence".

The authority has enforcement power to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £1,000 to perpetrators of fly-tipping, and to seize vehicles which have been used in the act.

It comes after the government announced last month that maximum fines for fly-tipping would increase from £1,000 to £5,000.

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