This Wigan man fears he will be taken to court over a heap of rubbish that doesn't belong to him

An outraged garage owner fears he could be taken to court after being told to remove rubbish dumped by fly tippers.
Tommy Boyle outside his garageTommy Boyle outside his garage
Tommy Boyle outside his garage

Council bosses sent a letter to Tommy Boyle telling him to clear out his garage in Poolstock or face further action, which could be a fine or even prosecution.

But the 61-year-old says not a single item in the garage belongs to him.

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Mr Boyle said: “People have been fly tipping. They have been throwing stuff in it. There are sofas and household stuff, bits of carpet and junk. There are a lot of empty lager cans as well.

“It’s all stuff that should be taken to the tip. It’s wrong, it’s totally wrong.”

The garage has not had a door for around 20 years, after thieves broke in several times.

But he says it is just in the past six months that people have been dumping rubbish there.

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He has now received a letter from Wigan Council telling him to empty it by Thursday as it is a “serious fire hazard”.

Mr Boyle said: “The council has said it’s nothing to do with them, it’s my garage and my property. I have to pay to get it emptied and if I don’t they will do it and charge me for it and fine me as well and take me to court.”

He says it will cost between £250 and £300 to have the garage cleared, with the cost of a new garage door adding to the bill.

Mr Boyle said the situation is a “nightmare” and he does not yet know what he will do.

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A council spokesman said: “The resident has been sent a letter after council officers found there to be an accumulation of rubbish on his property.

“As the land owner, he is responsible for removal of any rubbish and ensuring his property is secure by fitting a door which would avoid any reoccurrence of the problem.

“The rubbish within the garage presents a serious fire hazard and as a council we have a duty to make sure people are protected from any potential danger.

“However, during the investigation if items can secure positive lines of enquiries then officers will look to take formal action such as fines or prosecutions and would always encourage residents to be vigilant and use the Report It app.”

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