A grandfather was shocked to discover that his garage, where he stored his mobility scooter, had been illegally filled with three tonnes of rubbish. Martyn de Young, a long-time garage owner in Raven Close, Larkfield, was taken aback when he found his garage stuffed with various items, including a sofa, builders’ debris, laminate flooring, and Wellington boots.
Upon reporting the incident to Clarion Housing, the property owners, a cleaning team was sent to clear out the garage. However, there was a mix-up, and the team mistakenly cleared out a tonne of rubbish from a neighboring vacant garage before rectifying the error.
Although one tonne of waste has been removed so far, additional rubbish estimated to be several more tonnes still needs to be cleared. Martyn, a retired IT consultant, expressed his surprise at the situation, noting that neighboring garages had also been filled with unwanted items over several months.
The fly-tipped garages contained various materials such as plaster, wood, glass, paint, furniture, and more. Concerned about security, Martyn plans to install stronger locks on his garage door to prevent future incidents.
While Martyn reported the incident to the police online, he expressed frustration as there was no specific category for such offenses. Despite the initial contractor mishap, Martyn acknowledged Clarion Housing’s assistance and is hopeful to retrieve his mobility scooter soon.
Authorities are encouraging anyone with information to contact the police. It is believed that the fly-tipping occurred between July 1 and August 25, during a period when Martyn had not visited the garage for about six to eight weeks.
Martyn is awaiting further communication from Clarion Housing regarding the cleanup process. A spokesperson for Clarion Housing expressed regret over the break-in and assured that appropriate actions would be taken against the responsible party. Plans for enhanced security measures, including new locks and potential CCTV installation, are in place to safeguard residents’ properties in the area and deter future incidents.