Graffiti and fly-tipping left in Dover's New Street
Published: 10:22, 03 November 2021
Updated: 14:30, 03 November 2021
Graffiti reading 'No War But The Class War' has been left over a stinking pile of rubbish dumped in a town centre.
The ripped bags of waste and fly-tipping surround over-flowing bins in New Street, Dover, just off Biggin Street.
Among the rubbish is a toilet, cardboard boxes, food and drink packages, a traffic cone, umbrella, glass window panels, fast food containers and a wicker basket.
The graffiti is written in red paint on the wall above the mess.
The motto 'No War But The Class War' is used to express opposition to capitalism and can be used as a means of underlining the priority of class struggle above other political aims and as a general anti-militarist slogan.
Signs near the filthy pile warn that fly-tippers will be prosecuted by Dover District Council (DDC). Another sign also reveals that CCTV operates in the area.
One sign reads: "We are watching. Fly-tippers face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence."
But despite this, the waste has built up.
A social media user branded the heap 'dirty' and 'disgusting'.
Another commenter said they saw three rats nosing in and out of the rubbish.
DDC is aware of the issue in New Street, it says, and is 'taking action' to resolve it.
A spokesman added: "The land is privately owned and therefore we are speaking to the land owner in relation to the removal of this waste. We will continue to monitor the situation."
A statement on the authority's website in regards to fly-tipping reads: "An area that is heavily littered or fly tipped gives the impression of increased crime levels and safety concerns.
"It also encourages others to dump their rubbish there.
"Fly tipping costs hundreds of thousands of pounds in clearance charges each year - money that ultimately comes out of council tax payers' pockets. Dover District Council is working to combat fly tipping and other waste crime offences.
"We know it is only a small minority of people who don't take care of our District.
"We rely on your help to bring prosecutions and stop those who continue to dump waste in the Dover District. Please help us by reporting fly tipping and other environmental crimes."
Residents in the Dover district suffered with missed and late bin collections over the summer, after contractor Veolia reported staff shortages as well as mix ups with new routes.
The garden waste collection was suspended for a period, but is now back up and running.
Read more: All the latest news from Dover
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Sam Williams