Safety fears as rubbish piles up

COUNCIL ANGER OVER POLICY ON ALLEYWAYS

- By ELLIOT JESSETT

OLDER people are being left alone to deal with mounds of rubbish and rats in one part of Merseyside, according to a local councillor, prompting fears for their safety.

The issue relates to the amount of 'unadopted' alleyways around south Sefton which have become targets for fly tippers.

Cllr Neil Doolin believes unadopted alleyways are a big issue in south Sefton, and has called on the council to take ownership of the problems. However, the responsibility for maintenance of 'unadopted' alleys falls on the property owners, often leaving these spaces overrun with rubbish.

At a council meeting on November 13, Cllr Doolin submitted a supplementary question: "[The rubbish in unadopted alleyways] does cause a lot of hardship, especially to older residents who find it very difficult to manage those alleyways when there are large amounts of fly tipping associated with the back alleys. [...Can] I ask Cllr Harvey whether he would back the adoption of back alleys by Sefton Council."