What a mess! Luton neighbours demand action over flytipping at blocked footpath after two years of problems

Residents along Russell Street in Farley, Luton, say their concerns over a blocked path are being ignored.

And there are growing fears over the threat of vermin and the risk of fires in the area over the dumped rubbish.

One property owner said he had been in contact with Luton Council for the past two years, after a tree fell across Blyth Path at the back of the properties. Attempts to get the owner of the tree to remove it have fallen on deaf ears, he says, and various attempts to get action from the council for the public path have failed to see anything happen.

"We used to use the alleyway to get into our garden at the back of our property but it's blocked and there's a light standard that was knocked down when the tree fell which we don't know if it is still live," he said.

"If we need to make repairs at the back we can't get through to the back garden, we have to go through the house.

"The neighbours feel really fed up about it, they feel exhausted. There was a fire up the alleyway after the flytipping caught fire and since then it has frightened everybody.

"I've never seen it in such a state and I've been here since the 1980s.

"All I want is for the council to come back to me to speak to me about what can be done."

A Luton Council spokesman said: "The council is aware of this situation and regrets that we have not resolved it as quickly as our standards require.

"The tree has been assessed by our staff but due to its size and location specialist equipment will be required to remove it. Arrangements were made to start that process on Friday November 12. Once it is clear an enforcement officer will sift through the flytipping before it is removed to see if we can gather evidence as to who might have disposed of it in this illegal way.

"We are also currently looking at enforcement tools available to us to address issues of environmental crime and anti-social behaviour in this area."

UPDATE: Since the Luton News contacted the council, our source has informed us that the path has been cleared, bar the light standard.