Furious residents' anger over huge mountain of fly-tipped rubbish on 'Walking Dead' estate attracting rats

Shocking video (click to play above) shows piles of fly-tipped rubbish that locals say has turned their estate into ‘something from the Walking Dead’. Now, furious residents and business owners say the street has become a hangout for drug-addled 'zombie' addicts, and the trash has led to an invasion of ‘rats the size of cats’.

Fly-tippers have made street a dumping ground

Sofas, beds and even discarded toilets are just some of the items abandoned on a patch of grass, which first started to become a dumping ground when a group of tenants moving house created the initial mess around four years ago.

Business owner Pete Kumar said the waste had been driving customers away from his beauty salon after they spotted giant rats lurking among the trash piles. But, as the council sold the land around four years ago, they now ‘refuse’ to clean up the mess.

Dad-of-two Pete, 50, who owns Riya's Beautonic Lounge, said: “Every time we phone the council they refuse to clear it because it’s private property. There’s no borders on there, it’s an open area. From black bags, to general rubbish, sofas, fridges and car tyres. Big and small fridges, microwaves, we’ve seen it all. Within three days of clearing it, it’s back again.”

‘Rats the size of cats’

Pete adds that although CCTV was installed, the problem has persisted - and it’s driving away business. He added: “Because we’re in the beauty trade and there’s a lot of women who come here, I'm losing business because they don’t want to come here as they say they see rats the size of cats. It’s not just rats, it’s the alcoholics and the drug users. They sit on the sofas and beds. You’ll find all sorts really, gas canisters and needles.”

Another business owner Muktar Singh branded the eyesore an "embarrassment" and demanded police take action on the drug users who come to the spot. Dad-of-four Muktar, 55, who owns Signature Supplies on Haseley Road, said: “We’ve been here for many years, it’s been here for the last three or four years at least.

Needles, drugs and sofas

“There’s fridges, household rubbish and building materials dumped there. There’s sofas, needles and drugs. When you normally see mice and rats they run off, but not here. They stare you in the eyes. It’s ridiculous. There’s too much drugs going around here, too. It's like something from the Walking Dead.”

Another local resident Ramesh Kanwal 48, who works at Ocean Parcel Services, said: “I can understand this is a landlord's responsibility. The landlord can’t do it because he’s not here and the other neighbours don’t have a clue either.”

Fly-tipping carries fines of up to £50,000 or imprisonment and council's can serve a legal notice instructing people to clear rubbish on privately owned land.

Birmingham City Council statement

Local Labour Councillor Majid Mahmood, from Birmingham City Council, said "We are aware of the issue and have previously cleared the privately owned land to remove the antisocial activities going on at this location.

"We have been taking steps to deal with the issue and have gone some way to tackle the landowners to be responsible for their land. The Waste Enforcement Unit have been monitoring the area and have engaged with previous and current land-owners.

"Following initial contact, the current land-owners are in conversation with the waste enforcement unit and are working to arrange for clearance themselves and closer management of the site.

"The land is under surveillance and there are multiple investigations into illegal waste deposits that have taken place at the site. Where we have sufficient evidence Birmingham City Council will not hesitate to prosecute fly-tippers.

"We will continue to monitor and action any antisocial behaviour at the site, however the steps currently being taken we expect a full resolution to be completed in the very near future."