Father's fury at garden mess

Piles of rubbish have been left to fester for three months at an empty council house in the Black Country, prompting complaints from neighbour Andrew Lakin who is confronted with the eyesore every time he looks over his garden fence.

Mr Lakin says he has lodged repeated requests with Dudley Council to clear the mess up, but that his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

The overgrown, rubbish-strewn garden, on the corner of Wallows Road, Brierley Hill, has also become a magnet for youths who gather there at night, he says.

"The garden was left in a right state. There are about 20 black bin liners in the garden, which have been ripped open by kids, there are pallets everywhere, and someone has broken into the shed and stuff has been scattered all over the place," said father-of-two Mr Lakin, aged 35.

"We can hear kids gathering over there at night. We've even had some of the rubbish thrown over the fence into our garden.

"My concern is over the health and safety. It's only time before it attracts rats, and I don't want my daughters living near that."

A council spokesman said that the site would be cleared as quickly as possible.