VOLUNTEERS are being called for to help clean up clogged alleyways piled high with household waste.

Ramsey and Parkeston Parish Council has agreed to fund a skip to take away old items, including those left blocking one alleyway between houses in Hamilton Street for more than a year.

But manpower is needed to help clear rubbish out, which is on private land, so is not dealt with by Tendring Council.

Councillor Bill Davidson said: “It’s an alleyway for people to get to their back gardens, it serves about four or five gardens.There is so much rubbish people can’t get through.

“This really needs to be sorted out - it’s a disgrace.

“There are old beds and things, it’s a nightmare.

“In Parkeston there are lots of alleyways and people dump stuff in them, but they are no-man’s land that don’t belong to anyone.”

The parish council discussed the flytipped waste at its latest meeting.

Mr Davidson said the offer to fund the skips is a “one-time” deal and is on the condition enough people come forward to help.

He added: “There is more and more flytipping happening and it’s becoming a major problem.

“The council decided to pay for skips to get it cleared up but we are looking for volunteers to help.”

He said the villages are also suffering from leftover waste rubbish when rubbish bags are ripped open by seagulls, especially when residents miss the collection and leave their bags out.

This week Tendring Council has also issued a fresh warning to people letting rogue traders collect rubbish after flytipping at the weekend in Frating and Ardleigh.

Large amounts of waste were dumped in a layby on Great Bentley Road, Frating, and in the middle of Slough Lane, Ardleigh.

The council is calling on people to ensure anyone who arrives to remove waste is carrying a waste carriers licence, and that they receive a waste transfer note when the work is completed.

To volunteer with the Parkeston clean-up call 07506212377.

People remain responsible for their waste even when it has been removed and could face prosecution for flytipping if they cannot show they made the proper checks.

Michael Talbot, Tendring councillor responsible for environment, said: “We want to stop these despicable rogue traders from carrying out these incidents, which can cause damage to our countryside and divert council resources from other work.

“If people stop giving work to these rogue waste collectors and stop making it profitable for them, then they will stop doing it.”

To check waste carriers licences visit environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers.