Denbighshire County Council clears up flytipping nuisance on Wellington terrace, Rhyl

For more than nine years Gypsy Lewis, 56, of Wellington Terrace, in Rhyl has struggled with constant flytipping outside their front gate.

However, while Denbighshire County Council has recently installed anti-flytipping signage and cleared the area of rubbish, Mrs Lewis is sceptical that the effects will be long lasting.

Mrs Lewis, who is semi-plegic since the age of two following a car accident and also lives with epilepsy, said:"Since I moved here in 2009 I've been going on and on at the council to do something about this, it's been an absolute nightmare.

"What's happened in the past is the area has been cleaned up spotless and then after about three months it all starts up again.

"People have always been coming from everywhere to dump their rubbish outside our gate and around our house.

"Even though the sign has helped, I'm worried that the council will just forget about it and then I wont be able to get out of my front door again."

The recurring issue presents significant problems for Mrs Lewis - who is disabled from on the right side from the shoulder down - and her husband Mark Jonathan Lewis, 57, who is paralysed on his left side from the waist down and is reliant on a walker following multiple strokes and issues with diabetes as well as poor overall health caused by a heart problem and recovering from pancreatic cancer.

Mrs Lewis added: "Every time the birds ripped up the rubbish bags, I've had to go out myself with a shovel to try and clear it up. Old cookers, beds, mattresses - you name it, it was there and we had to try and move it.

"It's been so bad, whenever we've needed ambulances to take us to hospital, they've been unable to get up to the house."

A spokesman for Denbighshire County Council said: “We were informed of a problem with bags being dumped near the property. Our teams went down to the location and cleared the rubbish, as well as using the road sweeper.

“Fly-tipping rubbish is not only anti-social, it’s also a blight on the landscape and affects the quality of life for residents.

"The Council will take action against those who wilfully dump rubbish. The majority of residents act completely responsibly and dispose of their refuse in a sensible manner. It’s the actions of the minority that will not be tolerated."