Action pledge over bizarre junk mountain

NEIGHBOURS of a woman who filled her house and back yard with junk were told yesterday that action would be taken to clear her bizarre collection after it began to spread outside her property.

People living close to the house in Sheffield said they had complained several times about the mountains of rubbish, which are made up of items such as plastic washing baskets, sacks of tin cans and a zimmer frame.

Old mops and buckets, brushes, pet carriers and a pushchair are also to be found outside the house in Colver Road, Highfield, along with garden hoses, pots and pans, footballs and children's toys.

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Residents said they had complained repeatedly to the council, but had been told the situation did not constitute a health hazard because the yard was not infested with rodents or other pests.

Jack Flint, 81, who lives next door, said he had asked council officers to take action several times, but had finally reached breaking point when the collection began to spill into a shared passageway.

He said he had been forced to put up a 5ft fence at a cost of 500 to hide the pushchairs, seven council wheelie bins and three shopping trolleys left in the yard by neighbour Jennifer Grounsell.

Mr Flint said piles of waste could be seen inside the house, stacked up to the ceiling in some places, and described the house and its yard as a "mini-landfill site".

He described his neighbour was a "recluse".

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The retired engineer said the rubbish had initially been confined to the yard, but was now spilling into the passageway between the two houses, making it impossible for him to put his wheelie bin out.

Firefighters have also been to see the collection along with council workers and elected councillors, but Mr Flint and other neighbours who had complained said no one had taken action until yesterday.

Mr Flint said: "Its unbelievable, I'm a tolerant chap, but this has been going on for years and I have reached the end of my tether. It stinks in the summer and what if it were to go up in flames?

"I've contacted all these officials over the past 12 months, but none of them have made a difference.

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"I am frustrated at the apparent powerlessness of people who are paid to sort out these problems."

Coun Jillian Creasy of Sheffield Green Party represents Sheffield Central, where Mr Flint lives. She said she had been to see the problem caused by the collection and would try to help.

She added: "It is unusual behaviour to say the least and a really difficult situation. It is annoying, but it seems that it doesn't quite cross the line into a genuine health hazard."

Last night Sheffield Council said that although no environmental health legislation had been broken, work was ongoing to make sure that the piles of rubbish were removed "as soon as possible".

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A spokesman said: "We are aware of the situation at Colver Road and officers have already visited the address to try and help. Although it is not a health hazard, we are looking at other ways of getting the rubbish removed.

"Officers from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue will visit the household, and we will make sure the rubbish is removed."

Mrs Grounsell was not available for comment yesterday.