Locals in a UK town have described the hell of living near a massive waste pile, which has caused bad smells, maggots and rats. Bolton House Road in Wigan is a road of terraced houses that leads to a former scrap yard, where illegal dumping has caused a myriad of issues for locals. Residents described the massive piles of illegal waste that have been dumped, with the council saying it will cost millions to remove them.
In a report by Sky News, locals said the issue started last winter, and it became apparent that the waste was not being sorted or destroyed as it built up into massive piles. Two locals have accused local authorities of “not wanting to know” after the issue was reported on several occasions. The pair were only comfortable speaking anonymously as they feared the people who were behind the illegal dumping. “We just couldn’t move for flies, and then we noticed an increase in rats,” a woman using the name Louise said.
She said that when the dumping started, it was happening around 20 to 30 times per day. “Eighteen-tonne wagons,” she said. “Full of all sorts; nappies, black bin rubbish, chemicals, plastic.”
Louise’s neighbour, Tom (not his real name), said it felt like local authorities “didn’t want to know”. He told Sky News that the council asked him to “have a look” at the illegal waste and report back.
Meanwhile, local man Neil Hardwick rented out three diggers to an individual, unaware of the illegal dumping that was taking place. He and his daughter confronted the men at the site when they had not received rental payments for some time, and they were both threatened.
Neil says that his daughter was slapped and that Neil was told that he could have his “throat cut” if he didn’t give them £100,000 to get his vehicles back. His machinery is worth around £300,000.
The pair claimed that a police officer dismissed their report and told them the machinery was not stolen. He said: “I just wanted us to get those machines back. But the fact that a man can spit in a woman’s face and get away with it, and the police are not interested, well, it is maddening.”
They returned 10 days later, accompanied by officers from the National Crime Agency, and found the machines had been smashed and destroyed. Greater Manchester Police said there is an ongoing complaint related to this incident.
Local Labour MP has weighed in on the issue. He said: “The number [the council] have come up with is about £4.5m to clear the waste. Anybody who knows local authority budgets at the moment knows they don’t have nearly five million pounds stashed behind the sofa. So what’s supposed to happen?”
That number is more than the land is worth, which the MP says makes working-class areas a target for this kind of crime. He said that at the beginning of the year, he was told that a criminal investigation was taking place, so no action copuld be taken to stop more illegal dumping on the site.
Paul Barton, director for environment at Wigan Council, said: “Our top priority is to ensure those residents feel heard and safe while the Environment Agency carries out their investigation with our full cooperation.
“We want the site to be cleared as a matter of urgency and are continuing to work with the Environment Agency to survey and sample the waste so polluters/landowners – who are the responsible parties – can progress this as soon as possible.”
In July, 25,000 tonnes of waste sat in the sun during a record-breaking summer of heat in the UK. A fire broke out, and firefighters from across Greater Manchester fought to bring it under control for nine days. It led to the closure of the nearby primary school to protect students and staff from acrid smoke.
As temperatures rose above 30C, some people got chest infections and others were even hospitalised.