A mound of fly-tipped rubbish blocks access to key road. (Image: Phil Barnett/PA)
A mountain of fly-tipped rubbish stretching more than 80ft-wide left people trapped in their homes and unable to go to work.
On Monday morning, residents in the Curborough area near Lichfield were greeted with a huge mound of building waste, forcing them to use a nearby access road.
Lichfield District Council is now seeking video evidence to track down the fly-tipping culprits who dumped the rubbish on Watery Lane. According to the local authority, the pile is an astounding 10 feet high, 20 feet wide, and 80 feet long.
Many residents who live along the lane could not enter and leave their homes as access to a nearby retail park holding 30 businesses was blocked. Contractors swiftly began removing the waste pile at first light on Tuesday.
The rubbish appeared to have originated from a construction site and a large lorry, which is believed to have dumped the material on January 20.
:
The pile stretched 10ft-high and 80ft-long. (Image: Phil Barnett/PA)
Residents described the mound as “unbelievable”, explaining how they were stuck in their homes.
“We literally couldn’t get out anywhere,” Elaine Hutchings told the Telegraph. “Nobody could get in, and we couldn’t get out.”
She said: “It was unbelievable. The actual whole lane was blocked with this huge amount of rubble. It was just not something that you would ever expect to see. At first I thought a lorry had had an accident, there was that much rubbish. Then I realised.”
Despite fly-tipping being a common issue in the area, locals said waste of that scale had never been left before.
“It’s just hard to take in, really, there are no words. It’s so much rubbish. We’ve seen fly-tipping before on a small scale, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” local entrepreneur Beth Toovey told the Telegraph.
:
Contractors began to remove the pile of waste at first light on Tuesday. (Image: Phil Barnett/PA)
Ms Toovey explained the impact it had on her business, Thyme Kitchen restaurant. She said: “We were fully booked, so I had to ring everyone to tell them the road would definitely not be cleared by Tuesday, so it’s a huge loss for us as a business and for the 25 people we employ.”
Lichfield District Council said in a statement: “Due to the scale of the fly-tipping, we immediately informed the Environment Agency.
“In the meantime, our environmental health officers are looking for evidence whilst we make arrangements to safely remove and dispose of the waste as soon as possible.
“If anyone has information about the people or vehicles involved, or the origin of the waste, please contact us on 01543 308000.”
Photo and video evidence can also be shared with council officers via the authority’s online flytipping evidence submission portal.