I live in a nice area where people generally look after the place, it is clean and tidy. I have an alleyway that runs down the side of my house that connects my street to the busier road that is to the rear of my garden. This alleyway also accesses a small community woodland / kids play park. Over the past few weeks someone has been persistently dumping rubbish down the alleyway at the junction of the woodland. So far so easy, just need to catch them and wee in their bombers. But, I am sure that this person has a serious drink problem. The rubbish usually consists of empty bottles of cheap red wine or vodka. I collected 4 empties on Sunday afternoon and when I went round to walk the dog at 8pm there was another bottle there, plus toothpaste and chewing gum wrappers. Over the course of the past fortnight I reckon between me and my neighbour we have collected 30 bottles.

I have reported it to Council but difficult to see how they can do much, other than the occasional tidy up.

So, what are the options? Passive aggressive anti-littering poster, wildlife CCTV camera, stakeout, Alcoholics Anonymous leaflets, bear trap, leave a bin there and resign myself to emptying it…..

I have reported it to Council but difficult to see how they can do much, other than the occasional tidy up.

You should burn it all. At night.

Fake CCTV and a sign?
Note where they are left?
Could even be kids just getting what they can and sneaking off.

Dumping in my back alley

As far as thread titles go, this takes some beating 🙂

Deliberate beating??

Could even be kids just getting what they can and sneaking off.

I originally thought that but the frequency, volume and timing suggests otherwise. Do kids go out a get pissed on red wine 4 times a week, sometimes several times a day?

As far as thread titles go, this takes some beating

I had another one in mind involving empty bottles and my alleyway but I could feel the ban hammer looming over me

Could well be one of your neighbors concealing their massive drink problem from their family?

Could well be one of your neighbors concealing their massive drink problem from their family?

This is very much on my mind.

Do kids go out a get pissed on red wine 4 times a week, sometimes several times a day?

Only when the flat roofed pubs are shut.
If it’s adults then at least you have a chance to shame/reason with them into getting shot of their rubbish.
Though part of me would say a cheap pair of CCTV cameras to make sure they are not driving away

Could it be a local business avoiding paying for rubbish collections?

Could it be a local business avoiding paying for rubbish collections?

Nope. No local business around and most of the time it is a single carrier bag with several bottles of Co-op own brand red wine. Doesn’t look like trade waste.

This has been a big issue where I live, with people leaving old beds ,tables general rubbi9sh and an alley full of dog shit.I and others wrote to the council.People have been served with a notice from the council saying any further dumping will result in Court action .It’s not pleasant to do but if the alternative is rotting rubbish and the chance of rats ……

I agree with the drink problem theory.. might not even be a neighbour, but toothpaste and chewing gum wrappers seem to imply they’re trying to cover up the smell.. generally speaking I wouldn’t have thought kids would choose to drink red wine either..

Next time you clear, could you stake a note with a number for Alcoholics Anonymous? Serious suggestion – getting them to stop leaving their junkin your back passage solves the problem for you but not them (although I don’t know what help you could offer further than that).

It’s not pleasant to do but if the alternative is rotting rubbish and the chance of rats ……

A chance of rats? Do you live in the Shiant islands?

Any chance someone is sleeping rough in the woods?

Post a notice, it can be polite and to the point instead of passive agro.

Any chance someone is sleeping rough in the woods?

Nope, woods are pretty small and my dog would let me know if there was someone there( It is what she is trained to do!)

Well it must be one of you neighbours then, post a notice and see if anything changes, maybe put up a CCTV notice, life is too short to be clearing up other peoples selfish behaviour.

The thing is they are generally leaving the rubbish bagged up and in a place where is is relatively easy for my neighbour and I to pick up and clear away. My worry is that if we get this wrong they will just lob the bottles into the trees where they get broken and much harder to collect and riskier for dogs and kids when playing in the area.

Great thread title 😀

I’d go with a wildlife camera and see if you know who it is (i.e. a neighbour)

PS – Does your wife have minty breath and bloodshot eyes?

I’d go with a wildlife camera and see if you know who it is (i.e. a neighbour)

Yup. don’t know how expensive they are, but it’s the best way. Totally know where you’re coming from with not wanting to move/worsen the litter issue, plus the guy needs help. He might be a while away from doing something about it, he might be on the cusp of having enough of a moment of clarity that would push him (her?) into getting serious about quitting. You might be a part of it. If you can tell them how many units worth you’ve cleared up over the past couple of weeks…

how about placing a small plastic bin at the site with a nice passive aggresive note along the lines of ‘please put your empties in this bin instead of fly tipping them on the ground, this will make it easier for others to clean up your mess, kind regards’

If you can’t beat ’em…. Why not head down to the woods with a big bottle of White Lightning yourself? You may find a kindred spirit and a doorway into a whole world of adventure….

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QACSo5xk3dE[/video]

^^^ Like. 🙂

Another three bottles today, plus some fags and toothpaste

Can you set up a small wifi webcam in an unobtrusive spot that covers the dump spot? You can record onto your HDD and view the results easily then.

Aye, defo some camera needed, one that shows the time, then go out and have a word.

Can you set up a small wifi webcam in an unobtrusive spot trap that covers the dump spot? You can record onto your HDD and view the results easily then.

I live in a nice area where people generally look after the place, it is clean and tidy. I have an alleyway that runs down the side of my house that connects my street to the busier road that is to the rear of my garden. This alleyway also accesses a small community woodland / kids play park. Over the past few weeks someone has been persistently dumping rubbish down the alleyway at the junction of the woodland. So far so easy, just need to catch them and wee in their bombers. But, I am sure that this person has a serious drink problem. The rubbish usually consists of empty bottles of cheap red wine or vodka. I collected 4 empties on Sunday afternoon and when I went round to walk the dog at 8pm there was another bottle there, plus toothpaste and chewing gum wrappers. Over the course of the past fortnight I reckon between me and my neighbour we have collected 30 bottles.

Quoted the Original Post as it seemed to shift halfway down the thread.

Anyway, after a few months off, the mystery dumper has returned! Bags of rubbish left yesterday, mainly fag packets and bottles of cheap wine.

Anyway, the change is that they slipped up, one of the bags contained address information, I now know which neighbour it is (up the street, but I do not know them)

So, now I know the culprit, what to do?

1. Deposit it back on their lawn

2. Report to council / police

3. Sympathetic note through door suggesting ways off helping potential alochol issues

4. Wee, bombers etc.

Hive mind thoughts please..

dump in in front of their house

Options 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously

Give it back to them with your own dump inside it.

Without a doubt it goes back in their property and if it persists then the contents are emptied out on to their property.

1.

2.

3.

Doesnt need to be in order, maybe try all 3 at the same time.

Report to the council and the police and give them the dumper’s address details. Let them deal with it.

3. Sympathetic note through door suggesting ways off helping potential alochol issues

#PEAKSTW

Personally, I’d knock on the door, with the bag and post in hand and have a discussion. Weather it’s along the lines of, stop dumping your **** in my manor or I’m concerned about your reasons for doing this is up to you.

Talking of dumping in your back yard, this BBC news item is possible the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen from the Corp. 2mins 30secs in…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-46261480/hartlepool-the-town-where-police-don-t-come-out