Residents say fly-tippers bring whole area down

Claire Gallagher (27), whose home faces onto the tip to the side and rear, contacted the Chronicle after reading our coverage of the issue in last week's edition.

The problem has been caused by fly-tippers abusing a disused patch of land next to the houses which has also been allowed to become hugely overgrown.

Claire said: "I open my door and it's the first thing I see. In the summer we couldn't go out into our garden because of all the flies and the smell was terrible.

"I had to get someone in to cut back the bushes that are coming into my garden so my son could go out and play with his toys.

"The owner of the site needs to get it cleaned up. It's not fair for people to have to live next to what is basically a dumpsite. We have the fire brigade out constantly because piles of rubbish keep getting set on fire."

Claire says the residents of Kirklands Crescent and Bogside Road have wrongly been accused of contributing to the mess.

She continued: "It's actually people outwith the street who are doing it but we're getting the blame. Why would anyone dump rubbish right next to their own house?

"It lets the whole street down. You see people who've spent time getting their gardens the way they want them but then, when you come into the street it's the first thing you see."

Claire doesn't like leaving her home at night time for fear that someone could be lurking amongst the overgrown bushes.

She added: "At night, if I'm going out somewhere, I wait until someone comes to my door. You can't see round the corner because of the bushes. I check out of my window everytime before I leave the house.

"People laugh at me because I won't take my dog out for a walk after eight o'clock, but you don't know who's hanging around and you wouldn't be able to see them."

Alastair Lee, senior environmental health officer with North Lanarkshire Council, told us last week that his department has contacted the land owner and he has agreed to have the area cleared.