Rat-infested tip of a garden cleared after ‘negative publicity’

Neighbours complained about health hazard of rotting debris for 14 months before Stafford council acted

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A front garden that was turned into a mound of rat-infested rubbish and left to fester for more than a year has finally been cleared away by a council.
Neighbours living next to the semi-detached house on Peach Avenue, in Stafford, complained that the tons of rotting debris piled up outside the property – shown in photographs in stark contrast to a semi-detached property’s own neatly kept space – had made their lives a misery.
One mother claimed her young son had been forced to take eight weeks off school for asthma attacks after the property’s tenants began burning the rubbish.
A mother of two, who did not wish to be named, said: “You can’t change the fact we’ve been living with rats for so long or that kids were falling ill. It should never have taken this long.
“It just shows, as soon as they get some negative publicity, they can act, and act quickly.”
Photographs showed piles of debris stacked up on the driveway, including rubble, sofas, mattresses, wooden panels, fridges and carpets.
After 14 months, staff from Stafford borough council have now removed the rubbish and the tenant – Steven Glover – has been evicted from the property, to the relief of his neighbours.
It was previously reported that Mr Glover’s elder brother runs a waste removal company and the pair had been dumping rubbish at the premises and charging others to do the same.
Mr Glover’s brother did not live at the address and the pair have both denied the allegations.
Neighbours said it took council officials four trips over the space of a week to remove the huge pile from the driveway and front garden.
However, they are upset it took so long for the local authority to take action following months of complaints from residents.
The unnamed mother added: “It’s more a sense of relief but I’m still very cross at the council.
“It took about three or four days to get it all gone so it was possible all this time.”
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