A HUGE pile of rubbish was left at the back of a nightclub for 42 days — prompting complaints from furious nearby residents.

Bolton Council asked En Vogue to clear the 80 bin bags that were piled in its rear yard on October 6 last year.

The accumulation was leading to a "rotten waste smell" and was likely to attract vermin, inspectors found.

Sicani Management Ltd, which owns the now closed En Vogue, was fined £3,000 for the offence at Bolton Magistrates Court on Monday.

The council said it was left with "no option" but to take the issue to court after En Vogue refused to co-operate.

A complaint was made to the council on October 6 about the pile of rubbish at the back of the Bradshawgate venue.

Officers wrote to the club, asking for the bin bags, which were stacked at the side of a skip that was full to the brim with similar waste, to be removed within 10 days.

When they inspected on October 22, meeting one of the complainants, it was confirmed that the waste appeared to be from the club.

Closer inspection of the bags revealed that they contained alcoholic drinks, bottles and storage containers as well as general waste.

Officers issued an abatement notice for the rubbish to be removed on the spot, because it was creating a rotten waste smell and might attract vermin.

The notice demanded that En Vogue removed and correctly disposed of the waste, including the skip, within seven days — but a fortnight later, when inspectors returned, the rubbish was still there.

By November 17 — 42 days after En Vogue were first contacted about the waste — the council cleared it up at a cost of £250.

On top of the fine, En Vogue were ordered to pay costs of £383 and a £20 victim surcharge.

Magistrates took their action in view of the "offensive smell" that was created, and the fact the council ultimately had to clear the waste at their own cost.

A council spokesman said: "We have tried to resolve this matter without resorting to court action, but unfortunately the business refused to co-operate and clean up.

"Due to the sheer amount of rubbish, we had no choice but to undertake prosecution proceedings."

The landlord evicted the previous licence holder of En Vogue at Christmas and there is now a new licence holder, operating the club as Mojo’s.

A spokesman for Sicani Management Ltd said the firm no longer owns the club and that he did not want to comment.