'The 4ft pile of rubbish in my neighbour's garden is ruining my beautiful wee village in West Lothian'

Residents in West Calder say they are appalled by a four foot tall pile of rubbish dumped outside a property, which they say has been there for two years and is now attracting rats to the street.

Pictures of the semi-detached property on West End road, the main road running through the village, show a pile of binbags stuffed with household waste dumped at the side and back of the house.

The mess is a daily eyesore for residents who live on Burngrange Crescent, who are forced to walk past the corner property to access their street, as well as those walking to the neighbouring West Calder Medical Centre.

The rubbish has reportedly been dumped at the house for two years | Iconic Media

One elderly resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said rats had been a problem in the area for the past three years, and she now believes the issue is stemming from the rubbish being thrown in the garden.

She said: “This is a really nice part of West Calder, where people look after their gardens and keep them neat and tidy.

“It’s a beautiful wee village and it is a pleasure to live here. I call it my wee piece of heaven, because that’s the way it feels to me.

“The only fly in the ointment is this garden full of rubbish.”

Bin bags and household waste are piled high round the side and the back of the house | Iconic Media

She said she regularly sees the occupants flinging rubbish in the pile, and has raised the issue with West Lothian council and Places for People, the housing association which manages the property, to no avail.

“To me, it’s about the health and safety of people living here,” said the 76-year-old, who said she is particularly worried about a young baby living nearby.

“The rats make me feel unsafe. And what do you say to your children when they walk past that garden?

“How do you teach your children about right and wrong, to look after their homes and themselves, if these people are dumping their rubbish like this and getting away with it?

She continued: “I was a nurse in an era where you never judge a person because you never know what’s happened in their life.

“I’ve lived by that my whole life. But this one is making me break that rule, because how hard is it really to put rubbish in the bin?

“It’s not bitchiness and I don’t have anything against the neighbours, but this should not happen in a civilised country.”

A spokesperson for People for Places said: “We completely understand the worry and concern this situation is causing for people in the community. We’ve been working with the customer for more than a year to try to address the waste at the property, but access is restricted, with the garden kept locked.

“The customer has agreed to remove the waste but this has unfortunately not happened yet. We recognise, however, that this is a challenging situation for them and remain committed to working with and supporting the customer to find a way forward.

“We want to reassure neighbours that we are taking the situation incredibly seriously and action is ongoing as we continue to work with the customer and relevant agencies to address the waste.

“Environmental Health is now involved and, following unsuccessful attempts to contact the customer, is now considering action to ensure progress is made.”