Leeds pensioner with terminal cancer complains about fly tipping nightmare in Meanwood street

Long-term resident Leslie Riley, who has terminal cancer, said dumped items and potholes on Ridge Road have been an ongoing issue for as long as he can remember, but the issues have got significantly worse in recent years. The 71-year-old is calling for the council to clear the rubbish heap in Meanwood and do more to maintain the street.

He said the area used to be “beautiful”, but the street now feels “dangerous” to walk down. The pensioner’s neighbour, a disabled man who uses a mobility scooter, has complained about the same issues.

Mr Riley told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “There's just nowhere in this world that he could use [the scooter] to get up and down the road to go to the shop at the bottom, because it's just that dangerous. It’d tip him over and tip him out of his mobility scooter."

In 2021, Mr Riley says he was injured after falling in the street. He said the accident occurred while he was walking down the road, which was filled with rubbish, potholes and a number of parked cars.

He added: “I went over one of the bloody potholes and it was that deep, you can't see the depth of the water and it got cockled [in] my ankle and down I went.”

After Mr Riley reported the accident to Leeds City Council, the road was swept clean. And the council says that in the last 12 months, it has “responded promptly” to the five reports it has received about fly tipping in Ridge Road.

It added that it has teams working daily to repair potholes across the city, where they have been reported, and it encouraged residents to flag them on its website.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said: “We do still need more financial support as currently we are dealing with a maintenance backlog on our road network in Leeds, as are many other authorities across the country.”

Mr Riley claims there has been an “upsetting” lack of action to tackle fly tipping. He said: “It’s degrading that they won’t do anything about it. Something needs doing and and literally quite urgently.”

The council spokesperson said: “We recognise that fly tipping is a national issue which blights affected communities and can also create access problems on streets and pathways. Where evidence is found Leeds City Council will always take action against fly tippers and use all legal powers at our disposal to tackle this criminal activity.

“Our Serious Environmental Crime Team continues to successfully investigate cases and work closely with the police and Environment Agency to target what is often organised, criminal activity.

“This work has seen 12 vehicles being use for fly tipping seized in Leeds in the last year and successful prosecutions in the courts resulting in significant fines and a custodial sentence. We would ask that anyone who is able to provide evidence relating to a fly tip to contact us via our website.”