THESE shocking pictures show how fly-tippers have turned a Burnley neighbourhood into a dumping ground.

Dozens of bags of rubbish, settees and mattresses have been left strewn around Burnley Wood.

An appalled resident even found a wheelie bin full of waste inside the kitchen of a property.

Grandad-of-five Michael Mobey has catalogued the litter-strewn streets over the past few months to show how much the area has declined.

He said: “When I first moved to Burnley 30 years ago the area was lovely.

“Now people like myself have to look at boarded-up houses and the problems they bring.”

Mr Mobey, 65, of Britannia Walk, said the area had become plagued with rats as rubbish is piled up in back yards behind rows of derelict terraces.

Community-spirited Mr Mobey paid out £350 towards a replacement swing when arsonists targeted a play area last year.

He is now urging the council to bulldoze the eyesore properties to 'stop the rot'.

He said: "The council should keep their promises and regenerate the area. I go past these houses every day. They smell and are infested with rats.

"Luckily I live on the opposite side of the playground to these houses but the people who live nearer are worried that the rats might spread close to them.

"We have been lucky with investment in the area. But the council should have knocked down those houses as soon as they evicted the residents.

"The whole area is being left to rot away.

"If the houses were demolished the problem would get better.”

Town hall bosses insist they are making progress with the clear-up, with blocks in Burton Street, Branch Road and Parkinson Street already demolished.

Compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) are in place on another six terraces nearby and two other blocks are also set to be bulldozed.

More than 100 cases of fly-tipping were brought by the council last year and 1,378 warning letters were also sent out.

Paul Gatrell, council housing head, said: “In the last year the council has successfully obtained CPOs for three blocks of properties on Oxford Road, close to Brittannia Walk.

“These properties were then demolished and the site is now being developed for new housing by the council’s developer partner Keepmoat.

"We have also demolished a further five blocks of properties on Burton Street, Branch Road and Parkinson Street in recent months.

“A further six blocks of properties are the subject of CPOs, and the demolition of these properties are dependant upon the legal process being followed.

“The council also hopes to secure outstanding interests in two more blocks in this neighbourhood in the next couple of months that will enable further demolition.”