My neighbor turned his yard into a dump – now it stinks and my yard is full of rats

Frustrated locals are demanding action after their neighbors turned their home into a makeshift dump with tons of rubbish dumped on the driveway.

Residents living on Peach Avenue, in Stafford, say their lives are being blighted by an eyesore of rubbish along the residential street.

Shocking pictures show piles of rubbish piled up in a driveway, including rubble, sofas, mattresses, wood panels, fridges and carpets.

Homeowners say the pile of dirt has been festering for more than a year, attracting rats and causing health problems for their children.

They claim that the owner of the house collected garbage and burned it day and night, instead of throwing it in the local dump.

Angry residents have accused the local council of doing nothing to help despite the health hazard being an “absolute stinker” and the fact they are just yards from a primary school.

One mum-of-two, who did not want to be named, said: “I first complained to the council in August last year and it just spread from there.

“They were able to confirm to me in November that they don’t have a license to do this, but nothing has been done.

“My son was sick for five months and did not study for eight weeks. He has asthma, he could not breathe.

“But they don’t care, they just keep doing what they want.

“Rats everywhere, it’s so high I don’t know how it hasn’t fallen yet and it just stinks.

“Metal is pouring out into the street, it’s not just in the garden, I’ve lost count of how many cars have flat tires.

“We have fires every day in summer and winter. The fire department comes out and then sets them on fire as soon as they leave.

“I was driving myself crazy with it. I contacted the Environment Agency yesterday and they were amazed that the council had not advised me to contact them a year ago.

“They should have been the first port of call but I had to do all this research myself because the council did nothing.

“Their customer service was shocking. They blamed everything from the agency’s use of staff to people leaving the board.

“There is also anti-social behavior and late-night partying. We tried to contact the police, but they said it was a civil matter.

“We are at the limit of our strength. Children have to pass by it every day on their way to school.

“It is dangerous. It is a serious health hazard and has been allowed to rot for a year. Garbage everywhere. He will come out and break the glass.

“I’m just upset that we’re left to live with this and no one seems to want to help.”

Another local resident, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: “This has been going on for about a year now, and nothing has changed.

“I have complained many times, as have many of us here, but all we have been told is that they are looking into it.

“Many residents are not happy at all, I know their immediate neighbors are suffering from problems with rats.

“Nearby there is an elementary school with small children, and it is dangerous for health.

“He just grew and grew. They try to burn some of it and then the fire department comes out and tells them and then burns it again as soon as they leave.

“It’s all in the front garden, so you have plumes of smoke blowing into other properties.

“Just last week, a neighbor organized a ‘one woman sit down’ action – everyone is outraged that nothing is being done.

“They say they’ll buy and dispose of your scrap, but it all just seems to end up in this garden.”

Jason Glover, who runs a rubbish removal business in Staffordshire, said he had been wrongly linked to the mess on social media and it was his brother who was responsible.

He said: “I live in Stone but people on the internet are saying it’s about me and my business but I can say 100 per cent it’s not.

“The house in Stafford has nothing to do with me, my brother lives there and he has a few problems.

“He goes about his business with about 10 other guys, bringing in trash and burning it.

“But it also attracted illegal dumpers, so not all the rubbish there is his. As a result, I receive threats online.

“I’m just trying to protect my business. Many people have commented vouching for me, but others have been pretty nasty and I want to set the record straight.

“What he’s doing has nothing to do with me or my company, I have five star reviews, I’m fully licensed and fully legal.

“I tried to help him when he was a young guy, but he just does his thing. If you even tried to talk to him about it, he’d just tell you to go away.”

A spokesman for Stafford City Council said: “This is an unfortunate situation for those who have to live with it on their doorstep.

“As we are currently taking legal action to resolve this situation and prevent them from continuing to make life worse for the residents of Peach Avenue, we cannot comment at this time.”

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said they were unable to comment as legal action was being taken.