Wigan residents blast 'tip' left in garden of house

This, they said, made the place a breeding ground for flies and rats, meaning children in nearby properties were unable to play outside.

Frustrated residents in Primrose Grove said they had been trying unsuccessfully to get something done about the state of the council-owned property for some time but had struggled to get through to the town hall.

The garden had been in a poor state when the tenant left but since then people had been using it as somewhere to offload rubbish, they claimed.

Wigan Council said it was sending staff to clear up the house on Monday and expressed disappointment at the condition it was in, especially when some local authority staff are still redeployed in the coronavirus response.

Neighbour Naomi Barr, speaking before the council announced its intervention, said: “It looks like Ince Tip. It’s just full of couches, washers, fridge, carpets, everything. People are just using it as a dumping ground. I’ve seen people pulling up with wagons on the driveway and emptying them.

“The smell coming from there is horrendous, it’s disgusting. There are loads of flies and I’ve seen rats. I’ve got young children and they can’t even play out. I’ve rung the council numerous times and they just kept saying someone would come out to take a look at it. It was like they didn’t seem bothered.”

The town hall said it was being dealt with and told tenants they had to ensure council-owned properties were kept in good condition.

A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “Rubbish outside the property will be removed. The house has recently been vacated and sadly waste was left upon exiting.

“Residents in the borough have a responsibility to ensure their properties are maintained and kept tidy so it’s disappointing these measures had to be taken.

“The pandemic has led to staff being redeployed and we are working as hard as possible to resolve issues like this. We thank residents for their patience and understanding.”