FED-UP residents living near a fly-tipping hotspot have spent hundreds of pounds of their own cash after the council refused to remove mounting messes.

They say the latest dumping just off Church Street in Shirley is the last straw and has made them “furious”.

However the council says it will not remove the rubbish because it is being dumped on land it does not own – as the alleyway is “unadopted” and so the authority has no responsibility to maintain it.

The nameless alleyway, now infested with worms and rats, has been a popular fly-tipping spot for many years. People nearby describe it as “unhygienic and dangerous”.

“There is continuous fly-tipping and it keeps getting worse and worse,” said 29-years-old Sarah Thompson.

“So far we have spent about £800 [getting it cleared].”

She says that they’ve also spent money getting a door and coded lock put on the neighbouring flat’s bin stores, as well as a netted roof to stop fly-tipping.

However, the estate agent’s efforts have been futile because the doors continue to be pried open.

Sarah added: “We’ve paid before and nobody else has paid towards it.

“It’s just been us, and I just think that it’s a bit unfair.  “If it’s sort of our responsibility and all the businesses, that’s fine, but we would rather it be billed, perhaps by the council and split between businesses.”

When approached, the council refused to comment on this specific issue.

Meanwhile, outspoken 68-year-old resident Tony Weafer told the Echo: “The pile keeps getting bigger and bigger. On two separate occasions, I myself paid £100 to get the rubbish cleared.  “The council refuses to take any responsibility and is out of order.”

Over the years, the hotspot has seen items including mattresses, a box of cartons, cans, food waste, and “just a bit of everything” dumped, according to residents.

Shirley ward Councillor Satvir Kaur said: “I share resident and business anger with this ongoing issue.

“It is extremely frustrating when, at the same time, the council says they cannot get involved with an issue due to it being private land, then spends £250,000 of tax-payers’ money on a private road in Bassett without any policy or plan to support it.  “It is not right or fair for my residents in Shirley or those across the city, who deserve consistency in approach.”