Waste removal scam warning

There have been large amounts of waste being illegally dumped in parts of the borough, with reports of kitchen units in the waterway near the Rope and Anchor pub, off Bolton Old Road, a mattress and shelving unit in Mealhouse Lane, both Atherton.

Tyres were discarded in Millers Lane, Platt Bridge, whilst a large amount of household rubbish and clothing had been strewn across Engine Lane, in Tyldesley.

Rubbish has also been deposited on land by Cheetham House Farm, off Park Lane, Abram.

It has been reported that a resident had paid for the waste to be taken away, but instead it had been illegally dumped.

Gangs of travellers are also operating in the area, knocking on doors requesting that white goods be left out on the streets for them to collect at a later date. In some instances pavements on estates are crowded out with dumped washing machines and fridges.

A spokesman for Wigan Council said that environmental officers would visit the sites to investigate.

Residents are now being warned to take extra care when paying someone to get rid of their large items and ensure they are a reputable firm.

Wigan Council works with a The Brick Homeless Project and Compassion in Action, who collect furniture and white goods for free to support local people in need.

However, these items should be in good condition and work correctly.

Alternatively, the council offers a chargeable service for collection of bulky waste items.

The fee is £10 for one collection of up to three bulky waste items per property in a 12-month period.

One or two extra items can be added to the collection at a cost of £5 per item.

Extra collections in a 12-month period will cost £79 each. It is a criminal offence to fly tip.

There are various levels of penalties for fly-tipping, and the maximum penalty includes a fine of up to £50,000 and / or 12 months imprisonment. Conviction in a Crown Court may result in an unlimited fine and / or five years imprisonment.

People can report flytipping on the Report it section of www.wigan.gov.uk or by downloading the Report It app to their Android or iPhone.