LITTERBUGS are turning a back alley in Darwen into a dump, said a fed up resident.

Norma Bauer, 60, said she was worried waste food in the alley behind her St Albans Road home would attract rats to the area.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s environment boss has vowed to have the alley cleared and to prosecute anyone found to be fly-tipping in the area.

Norma, a part-time cleaner at St Edward’s Primary School said: “It has been an absolute mess for a couple of years now and nothing has been done about it.

“There is just waste food everywhere and we will be having rats soon.

“The council come out and clean it and then it just gets done all over again.

“I think sometimes it happens because the bins have been left out and they have fallen over.

“But when it is a mess then other people dump their rubbish as well.

“I did catch someone in a car putting two bags out in our back alley.

“It is terrible.”

Earcroft councillor Stephanie Brookfield said she would investigate the problem.

She said: “I will contact Norma to discuss this problem with her and also have a look at the alley myself.

“It is disgusting when people think it is okay to simply dump their rubbish in a back alley and it needs to be stopped.

“Most people take a lot of pride in where they live and that can be said of most of the people in St Albans Road.

“It is a shame that a few people are making things worse for the majority of residents.”

Cllr Jim Smith, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Environment said: “It is disgraceful that some people think it’s okay to drop litter and dump rubbish on our streets, breaking the law in the process, whilst the overwhelming majority of residents in Blackburn with Darwen help us to keep our borough clean.

“We take action against those found to be littering in our community, naming and shaming in the press those who are successfully prosecuted. Members of the public can report littering in many ways, including our Your Call mobile phone app, and by calling the council on 01254 585921.”