Garden filled with so much junk neighbours say they see rats running around
People have started to despair over the mountain of junk that has taken over a garden on their smart cul-de-sac.
While some may be tending their roses and feeding fish in the pond, whoever lives in this semi-detached home has instead turned to building a scrapyard.
Next-door-neighbour Dominique Mangan, a mum-of-two, has resorted to building a 5ft fence which cost £1,000 to block out the sight – but she said even this hasn’t worked, as the rubbish has simply grown higher than the fence.
She said: ‘Rats are out in broad daylight and I’m constantly screaming at the kids to close the door.
‘If you look out of the bedroom window, you can see them scurrying around the waste. I’ve had environmental health out loads. My anxiety is through the roof and my heart pounds just thinking about it.’
Suitcases, bikes, furniture, toys and ornaments are piled high, while next to the pile of junk is an assortment of vehicles sprawled out onto Gleave Crescent near Croxteth.
Other neighbours in the street are also fed up, calling on the council to take action.
One long-time resident said the situation started around four years ago: ‘It’s an eyesore. And it’s getting worse, not better.’
Her husband added: ‘If you go on Google Street View, which dates from 2022, it’s night and day compared to what it is now. It just seems to have gotten worse and worse over time.’
A couple who live across the crescent from the property told us: ‘It was already like that when we moved in. But it has definitely gotten worse in the last couple of months. At one point he [the property owner] cleared it out, but then it built up again really quickly.’ They claim they often see the owner drive up to the property with his van ‘piled high with stuff’.
Some neighbours fear the problem might affect their property prices if it isn’t sorted out soon.
‘If you tried to sell the house and someone comes to look around it’ll put them right off,’ one neighbour told the Liverpool Echo. ‘It brings down the value of the houses here, that’s for sure. It’s an embarrassment.’
His neighbour agreed. ‘It will definitely affect property prices. It’s a nightmare scenario for neighbours here. People visiting here always mention it and say how strange it is.’
Another woman told the local press her neighbour had ‘found a dead rat underneath his car on the driveway. He’s convinced it’s linked to the mess over there. We can’t risk putting poison down because we’ve got a dog.’
With Bonfire Night coming up in November, fears are rising over the fire hazard the pile could represent. One man said: ‘If anyone puts a match to that it’ll go up like that – it’s serious. We had the fire brigade come last year over it – particularly about the cars and vans. It needs sorting.’
A Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: ‘Officers from our prevention team visited the property in July this year, gave fire safety advice and discussed the potential risks from the build-up of materials on the driveway. Prevention team staff have been working with the family and liaising with partner organisations in efforts to alleviate the current issue.’
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: ‘This issue is subject to an ongoing investigation and we will be communicating with the affected residents accordingly.’
The owner of the property refused to engage with the local paper saying simply ‘no comment’.
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