Neighbours furious at Romford landlord who used properties as dumping ground

Residents have said spoken of their fury after a ‘nightmare’ landlord used his two properties as dumping grounds – leaving his neighbours trapped between piles of overflowing debris.

Shocking images of the houses in Romford, east London, show mountains of rubbish, including hoovers, chairs, washing machines, building appliances and sofas, at the back of the property.

Scraps of metal, kitchen sinks and lawnmowers are also among the objects that are now strewn across the overflowing garden. 

The rubbish, which has been compared to an ‘open sewer’,  has slowly been accumulating for two years and residents say it is now beginning to attract rats and other vermin. 

Keith Eaton, who owns the two properties, was ordered to pay £4,726 and told to clean up the waste by Havering Council in June but neighbours have said the site is still ‘horrendous’ and he has ‘ignored’ the orders.

Residents on a street in Romford, east London, have spokes on their fury after a ‘nightmare’ landlord used his two properties as dumping grounds

Images show mountains of rubbish, including hoovers, chairs, washing machines, building appliances and sofas at the back of the property

Images show mountains of rubbish, including hoovers, chairs, washing machines, building appliances and sofas at the back of the property

One neighbour told MailOnline: ‘What I would prefer you to go to his house and ask him how he can live like this. He owns both of these houses, the cars and all this rubbish.

‘The council is well aware of this but haven’t done anything about it.

‘I’ve tried very hard to encourage the council in their endeavours to do what they have in all their powers to do but they don’t.

‘We’ve got those lines to follow at this moment in time.

‘It’s best to go down the official route now because at least you can say we’ve gone down the proper lines and now we’re going on telly.’

Another neighbour Julie, who declined to give her last name, said: ‘I’m really disgusted by it.

Keith Eaton, who owns the two properties, was ordered to pay £4,726 and told to clean up the waste by Havering Council in June but neighbours have said the site is still 'horrendous' and he has 'ignored' the orders

 Keith Eaton, who owns the two properties, was ordered to pay £4,726 and told to clean up the waste by Havering Council in June but neighbours have said the site is still ‘horrendous’ and he has ‘ignored’ the orders

‘If you look at the pictures that have gone round on Facebook, it’s worse than the tip.

‘I’m surprised if it doesn’t stink to high heaven.’ 

Another resident, Denise Hipson Avery, 64, who lives close to the two properties, said the neighbours sandwiched between the two rat-infested properties were ‘going through hell’.

She told The Sun Online: ‘They’re going through hell. We don’t see any end to it.

‘You couldn’t live in there, this house has actually got worse since the court order, also what is it all?’

The resident went on to say that the nightmare homeowner had blocked off the garden from the house, his vehicles were crammed with rubbish and his van was also leaking oil.

One neighbour, named Julie, said she has been left 'disgusted' by the pile-up of rubbish

One neighbour, named Julie, said she has been left ‘disgusted’ by the pile-up of rubbish 

Elsewhere another neighbour added: ‘You would not be able to live in that house, there’s no water connected and it’s filled to the ceilings with rubbish.’

But one next door neighbour doesn’t mind as much.

He said: ‘It doesn’t bother me at all. Personally, I think [some neighbours] are trying to take it out on Keith. I think it’s bullying.

‘They don’t live next door, I do. It doesn’t affect my life. This has been going on for months and months and months. I think it’s caused a rift with all the neighbours.

‘This has been going on for six months on Facebook. I don’t want to get involved with any of it, personally. He’s been helpful to us, and nothing but quiet and nice. That outweighs the fact that his garden is a bit untidy.’

In June, the council used the powers in Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) to order Mr Eaton to clear the mess from both his front and back gardens.

The rubbish, which also includes scraps of metal, kitchen sinks and lawnmowers, has been compared to an 'open sewer'

The rubbish, which also includes scraps of metal, kitchen sinks and lawnmowers, has been compared to an ‘open sewer’

Neighbours say the rubbish has slowly been accumulating for two years and it is now beginning to attract rats

Neighbours say the rubbish has slowly been accumulating for two years and it is now beginning to attract rats 

He was also ordered to cut the overgrown vegetation covering his gardens.

But neighbours have said the homeowner ‘refuses to clean up’ and it was ‘not fair on the rest of them’.  

Havering Council have now said that the are taking further action against Mr Eaton, The Sun reports.

Leader of the council, Councillor Damian White, said Mr Eaton had been given a ‘reasonable and fair amount of time’ to comply and the council was now ready for further prosecution.

MailOnline has contacted Havering Council for comment.