A CRACKDOWN is being launched on rubbish dumpers who are risking the back streets of Hyndburn being overun with rats.

Hyndburn Council is adopting a "get tough" policy and says it will prosecute persistent offenders who put sacks out in back streets instead of storing them until refuse collection day.

In a number of areas bags are being left outside premises all week leading to serious problems when dogs and cats rip them open littering food scraps all over the area.

John Davey, assistant head of environmental health, said: "If refuse sacks are ripped open you get food scraps all over the back street which clearly is a significant health hazard and attracts vermin.

"If we are not careful the whole of the borough is going to be overun by rats."

Only this week the borough council had to spend £2,000 employing a contractor to dig out the back yard of an empty house in Accrington, two metres deep in rubbish dumped by residents in the neighbourhood. A JCB had to be called in to remove 32 tons of builders rubble, old mattresses and domestic refuse.

Another householder, who had no dustbin of her own, had thrown unbagged rubbish into the back yard of an empty house next door.

Mr Davey said: "It is a minority of people doing it but it is appalling what we are finding in some areas."

As well as the council's weekly domestic refuse collection service, householders can arrange for bulky items to be collected in most cases free of charge by ringing 356222.

Mr Davey said: "We cannot understand why people go the trouble of dumping refuse causing themselves and their neighbours a health risk when they can have the stuff removed for free."

"Use the free service. Don't dump refuse as it just costs the rest of the council tax payers more."

Mr Davey added: "We are asking for the co-operation of the public in not putting refuse out until at the very earliest the night before collection.

"If people persist in doing this we will regrettably have to resort to prosecution."

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