Horwich Clean Up Brigade 'angry' with Bolton Council

Horwich Clean Up Brigade members are “angry” that efforts to keep the streets clean frequently fall on them and have called the council’s ability to assist into question.

Charlene Bessell, who works as a Transport Coordinator, has taken it upon herself over the last two years to voluntarily organise the brigade, which she described as “almost a full-time job".

Charlene Bressell

She said: “I don’t get paid, but people think we do. People contact us and ask us to clean up a street and get angry when we don’t."

On April 6, after receiving information about a fly-tipping incident on Brunel Lane – a spot the group has visited around 10 times previously, collecting “easily 2,000” bags of rubbish - Ms Bessell went to the site after finishing work.

Before and after Charlene cleaned up Burnel Lane

She said: “There was the full setup for growing cannabis. Plants, pots, fertiliser, thermometers. All sorts. They just chucked them out on the back street.

“I flipped them over onto the green space at the side so they could break down. That’s all I could do.”

There have been multiple cannabis farms raided by police in the borough in recent months, but this is a side of criminality that is less known to the public.

Whether it’s waste from criminal ventures or general waste that is being dumped, however, fly-tipping is illegal all the same.

Bolton Council has expressed its zero-tolerance towards fly-tipping.

Ms Bessell added: "People in Horwich Clean Up Brigade are getting very angry.

“The problem we’re having is we’re not getting any support from the council. They don’t have the funds.

“We send evidence and don’t hear anything about them, ever. We’ve sent them 100s of names and addresses and no one ever gets prosecuted.

Evidence collected of potential offenders

“What’s the point in asking us to give evidence when they are not doing anything with it? People will keep doing it.”

Ms Bessell has offered up a suggestion to the council, saying: “Surely, they can gain some income by fining people.”

Horwich North East Councillor Kevin McKeon said: “[Horwich Clean Up Bridgade] do fantastic work. We’re very appreciative. The amount of litter is absolutely disgusting.

“Conservative cuts have decimated council resources leaving the council stretched.”

He added: “The problem the council has is that they only clean up on council land or on the high street.

“I’m sure all of us councillors are doing our best to get officers in the environmental department to clean up where they can.”

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Bolton Council has a zero-tolerance approach to flytipping and we will always seek to hold those responsible to account.

“Following contact from Horwich Clean Up Brigade, we have removed a large-scale flytip from the area in question, and retrieved evidence collected by the volunteers. This will assist in our ongoing investigations.

“We work closely with a number of community groups to help keep our neighbourhoods clean and their continued support is greatly appreciated.”