Elmore Grove, Bolton backstreets ‘like a dumping ground’

The mounts of rubbish have persisted on the backstreets around Elmwood Grove near Queens Park at least since May this year despite repeated complaints.

Parents have been particularly alarmed by used nitrous oxide canisters, which are classed as a Class C drug, and by the potential to attract rats.

Zishan Sarwar said: “I heard about this from one of the families here and when I saw it, obviously it just disgusting.

“It’s like a jungle to be honest.”

He added: “I rang the council and they said they would get someone to sort it, I’ve rung them three times.”

The Bolton News went to visit the area around Elmwood Grove and found huge amounts of rubbish, a large bag full of used nitrous oxide cannister, and furniture strewn around.

In an ironic twist, lying amongst the rubbish there was an old Bolton Council sign warning people against fly-tipping and warning them they faced fines or prosecution.

Cllr Arif with an abandoned sign warning against fly tipping (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Sarwar said he later got in touch with Cllr Baggy Khan who then introduced him to Cllr Zan Arif, of the Queens Park and Central ward which covers Elmwood Grove.

He said that he and many of the residents would first like to see the rubbish cleaned up and then to see permanent solutions like CCTV cameras installed.

Mr Sarwar said: “We’re engaging and trying to build strong relations here, one individual would not be enough to get this removed, it needs to be a collective.”

Cllr Arif was particularly troubled to find used nitrous oxide cannisters (Image: Newsquest)

On a visit to the site, Cllr Arif came across dumped rubbish, bins that appeared to have been vandalised, and boxes of used nitrous oxide canisters.

He said: “This is the sort of stuff we’re finding in the area, and this has accumulated for quite some time.”

He added: “It’s been reported, nothing’s been done, we need to act on it as soon as possible because once something’s become a dumping ground, everybody else is going to come and think well why not? I could do that too?”

Huge amounts of rubbish have been dumped (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Arif said he was particularly concerned to come across nitrous oxide canisters, vodka bottles, and beer cans.

He said: “There’s a theme here, its people doing some kind of recreational activity, whether its this, drinking, needles, whatever comes with it, it’s these types of people that are doing this unfortunately.”

In an apparent reference to the recent bin strike in the West Midlands, he said: “It’s a dumping ground, it looks like Birmingham!”

Bolton Council leader Cllr Akhtar Zaman said: “Fly tipping is a problem all over the borough which we are trying to deal with.

“Where possible we try to identify and deal with the culprits, bring them to court and issue fines and fixed penalty notices.

“We encourage people to always report fly tipping to local authorities.”