Medication, Dirty Nappies And Household Waste, Found In Fly-Tip In Hornchurch As Residents Say They Were Left To Clear It Themselves

Residents in a Hornchurch cul-de-sac have spoken of their frustration after discovering what appeared to be prescription medication amongst a large fly-tip, claiming they were left to clear much of the rubbish themselves after receiving notification that the case had been closed.

The latest incident took place in Kershaw Close, where a substantial quantity of waste was dumped on a public footway. The rubbish included black bin liners, used nappies, soiled clothing, suitcases full of household items and a discarded front door.

Residents say they were particularly concerned to find what appeared to be prescription medication amongst the waste, given the area’s proximity to local schools and the potential risk posed to members of the public.

According to residents, this was not an isolated incident.

They say they had previously cleared an earlier fly-tip consisting of discarded sash windows and ferrous metals, only for further waste to appear days later.

Residents have also provided correspondence which they say shows the matter had been reported earlier on the 10 June and the case was then closed.

Local people say they were disappointed by this response and felt compelled to take action themselves when rubbish continued to accumulate.

One resident reportedly cut a discarded wooden front door in half in order to remove it, while other neighbours helped dispose of various items to prevent the waste from remaining in the area.

Chris Oliver, a resident of Kershaw Close, told the Havering Daily:

“As soon as we saw the latest dumping, several of us emailed the three ward councillors, and Havering Council. Over the following three days I sent further emails asking for assistance. Six days later, residents have still not received even the courtesy of a reply.”

Residents say they are becoming increasingly frustrated by what they believe is a growing fly-tipping problem and have questioned why reports involving suspected controlled medication and waste close to local schools did not receive a quicker response from those they contacted.

In response, a Havering Council spokesperson said:

“We were made aware of this fly tipping on Tuesday [16 June] and this was dealt with by our teams immediately.

“It was cleared straight away due to the presence of the hazardous and medical waste.

“Our enforcement teams are now following up with enquiries as to who may have dumped it there. This looks to be an isolated incident.

“While in the past year we have received only two reports for waste issues in this area, we have issued waste enforcement notices during this time and will always look to take strong action against anyone found fly-tipping in our borough.

“We encourage all our residents to report fly-tipping, as the sooner we know about it, we can deal with it and also take the necessary enforcement action too.”

The council confirmed that enforcement enquiries are continuing in an effort to identify those responsible for the dumping.

What is not disputed is the frustration felt by local people who say they have repeatedly had to deal with rubbish being dumped in their neighbourhood.

For those living in Kershaw Close, the latest incident has left many asking whether more can be done to prevent fly-tipping before it blights their community once again.

Residents with information about fly-tipping incidents can report them to Havering Council via:

Havering Council Fly-Tipping Reporting Page

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