FAILURES to clear fly-tipped rubbish have caused rats to descend on a residential street and gnaw on people's front doors, it is claimed.


Exasperated resident Khalid Rashid, 47, says Poplars Road in Walthamstow has been plagued by fly-tippers persistently over the last six months but the council had repeatedly failed to clear it promptly.


In the latest incident he contacted the council last month to report a new pile of smelly refuse and furniture dumped near his home - but staff have still not picked it up more than two weeks later.
 

He said: "It's blocking the pavement, it's a health hazard and it's dangerous.


"The council claims to be tackling 'enviro-crime' but I haven't seen any of that here.


"We have two children in our house and it's disgusting they have to be exposed to this on their doorstep.
 

"The problem has got really bad recently. I probably contact the council about once a week now and sometimes they do come and collect it, but they seem very blasé about it.
 

"It's attracted rats who are running around and have been gnawing on doors.

"We had bite marks on our front door. It's really disgusting."

Mr Rashid believes the perpetrators responsible for the fly-tipping are the same people each time, with the rubbish being dumped often comprising a mixture of household black bin bags, furniture like mattresses and commercial waste like wood.


"I'm getting to the end of my tether," he added. "I just want the council to take it seriously".


A council spokesman said the authority was considering installing CCTV at the site.

He added: “we were originally told that it was a trade waste issue, which is dealt with in a slightly different way to fly-tipping.

“We’re looking into why the delay occurred and someone will be on their way to the site shortly.”