MORE household rubbish dumped in Normanton has sparked a big debate among our readers.
Residents awoke yesterday morning to find a pile of junk – including two mattresses, food, drawers, clothes, toys and a baby bath and seat – thrown out on the pavement, spilling on to the road, in Almond Street.
Resident Marc Marquis, 36, said: "I'm not having this outside my house. I have an eight-year-old and you have to walk on to the road to get past the mess."
Fly-tipping in the Normanton and Pear Tree areas has been ongoing for a long time and it is getting worse, according to the Normanton Empowerment Team – made up of members of the public who voluntarily monitor the situation.
Yesterday, a flurry of comments were posted on the Derby Telegraph's page on social networking website Facebook in connection with this latest incident.
Steph Briggs said: "The long-term residents of Normanton do take action. We regularly challenge fly-tippers and many of us make the effort to keep our own little area clean and tidy.
"Our reward for this was to have our recycling service removed, which many of us were very unhappy about.
"We have photographed and reported fly-tippers but no action is taken other than to send the vans out to clear it up.
"This isn't what we pay our taxes for either. There is only so much the residents of Normanton (that actually care and there are many of those) can do."
Stephen Robinson posted: "I've said it before, offer a reward for video evidence resulting in a £1,000 fine and £500 to the person who provides the video, that will not cost the taxpayer one penny."
But Derek Bale said he believed people should not be fined. He said: "They should be made to move it without help from council."
Gary Gee, of the Normanton Empowerment Team, said: "I have seen it over and over again. This has just been dumped outside a house – it is disgusting."
Also photographed by residents this weekend were some wood and a suitcase dumped in St James' Road and a box of old pears, plasterboard and shelving and black bags of rubbish in Hastings Street.
Last week, the Derby Telegraph told how a bath was left leaning against a lamppost on the corner of Stanton Street and Vincent Street and a sofa and chairs were lined up another nearby street.
The items were collected by Derby City Council but quickly replaced by more rubbish – such as carpet, bags of nappies and a door.
Last week, the council said incidents of fly-tipping were investigated and "where strong evidence is obtained that identifies a particular individual, formal action can be taken".
The statement went on to say that if anyone witnessed any fly-tipping, they should report it on 01332 642020.
