SOUTH Shore residents are calling for stricter action from the council after a plot of land used as a dumping ground for rubbish has made their lives a misery.

The land, in between Marsden Road, Harcourt Road, Ellesmere Road and Pickmere Avenue, has laid empty for years and derelict buildings which were once rented out to private tennants have now been demolished.

The land is now covered in piles of mattresses and tyres.

Homeowners whose gardens back on to the land are furious the council is not doing enough to put an end to the mess.

They claim they do not follow up any action and say enforcements need to be made stricter.

This latest report comes after The Citizen highlighted the plight of Peter Street residents two weeks ago who were forced to live by a house which has a burnt-put ambulance in the garden and vulgar scrawl across the front of the house. Residents in the Marsden Road area have been plagued by trouble after a caravan was moved near to the site and later demolished by children and has been set on fire.

The latest articles to be dumped include two mattresses and several bike frames.

One resident had to call out the fire service after children set rubbish alight. She said: "The land is in a state. It is not fair we should have to put up with this mess on our doorsteps. I have contacted environmental health and the planning department and nobody seems to do anything. They just don't care. It's all right an officer coming out to have a look at the site and then serving an enforcement order but then no-one bothers to come and check the work has been done. It's a nightmare living here."

Owner of the land Douglas Green said since the garages were demolished the land had been plagued by vandals.

He said: "The whole thing is making me ill. I am fed up with it. I have spent thousands of pounds having the site cleared and erecting posts to stop people driving onto the land."

The land is now on the market and plans for housing are reported to be in the pipeline, which will put an end to the trouble of unauthorised dumping.

Kevin Garrity, chief environmental services officer, said only perishable items that attracted vermin, concerned him, and he would look into the report of the dumped mattresses.

Ian Ward, principal planning officer for the council, confirmed there had been complaints about the land and there was an officer dealing with it. No one at the planning department was available for comment yesterday.