Weston-super-Mare neighbour from hell turned garden into scrapyard

2 October 2009

A NEIGHBOUR from hell turned his back garden in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset into an ugly scrapyard which included three cars.

Paul Walters, who filled his property with tonnes of rubbish up to head height, is facing prosecution for the third time.

It is estimated that it will cost £20,000 to clear up the junk.

Environment chiefs intend to prosecute him in an effort to force him to clean up the rubbish he has been hoarding for five years.

Neighbours Tony and Sheila Withers said Mr Walters had once been a friend, but had turned into a nightmare neighbour.

The retired couple have to keep their windows sealed in warm weather to safeguard their house and kitchen from swarms of flies and unpleasant smells coming from the rubbish tip.

Former lorry driver and great-grandfather Tony (69) said: "The smell is unbearable and we can't put up with it any longer. For the past five years he has just been hoarding all this stuff and it has to stop so we can get back to normal.

"The force of all his rubbish is causing our fence to collapse. It's an absolute nightmare."

The piles of rubbish spill out into the shared drive between the two semi-detached houses. Ladders, old clothes, spare parts, copper pipes and milk bottles block an area intended for car parking and rear access.

In March, Mr Walters was fined £500 and ordered to pay £1,300 costs but he did not clear his garden or pay the council's case fees.

He was also taken to court in January 2008 but the problem worsened over the last 18 months.

A North Somerset Council spokesman said: "We have taken him to court twice previously, but the rubbish hasn't been removed and we are likely to prosecute him again.

"We are looking at the costs involved in carrying out direct action, but the reason we are doing this is because we have to be able to justify spending that amount of money in one place."

Do you want to use a fully licensed & insured house clearance company?

Do you want a reliable house clearance company that always turns up on the day & has never let a customer down? Click here & see what hundreds of our past customers have said about us.

We perform full house clearances, removing everything requested such as carpets, cookers, washing machines, all clutter & furniture. We also clear garages, lofts, office spaces and commercial buildings. If requested, we can also clean the property to help improve its rental chances or its selling appeal on the housing market.

Call us today on FREEPHONE 0800 0352653 or contact us via e-mail.

Click Here To Calculate Your Carbon Footprint