Fly-tippers across Greater Manchester take advantage of coronavirus lockdown as recycling centres shut
Fly-tippers have dumped mountains of rubbish across Greater Manchesteramid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Huge piles of bin bags, household furniture items and cardboard boxeshave been spotted on streets in Collyhurst, Chadderton andSaddleworth. And it is feared that the fly-tipping situation will get worse whileall recycling centres and tips across the region are closed.
Pictures taken last week show a huge pile of overflowing bin bags onSand Street in Collyhurst.
An old sofa, mouldy food and cardboard boxes have also been dumped there.
On Brighton Road in Saddleworth, an old mattress has been disposed ofon a grass verge. There's also a pile of bin bags and cushions.
A mountain of black bags has been dumped on land off Healds Greenin Chadderton.
Recycling centres will remain closed 'until further notice' due toGovernment restrictions on movement in the COVID-19 lockdown. Major changes have also been made to bin collections.
Residents have been asked to stop putting out certain types of wastefor the foreseeable future, while also taking steps to stop the virusspreading to council workers.
With staff numbers dwindling, councils are facing difficult decisionsabout what waste they will be able to collect.
In some parts of the region, general rubbish and food waste are beingprioritised as the items that need to be most urgently disposed tokeep the streets clean.
Every council has asked anyone with coronavirus or showing symptoms toput personal waste like tissues and disposable cleaning cloths in atied bag. This should then be kept separate from other rubbish for three days, after which they need to be placed into the usual outdoor householdbin.
It is hoped this will protect council staff collecting bins and limitthe spread of the disease across the city-region.
Read more: