Casey Voysey in the alley by her house in Ferndale Road, Gillingham

by Jenni Horn

A little girl has taken on a council in a fight to banish fly-tipped rubbish – and she’s only eight.

Casey Voysey was so fed up with the state of an alleyway near her home in Ferndale Road, Gillingham, she has written to Medway Council to demand something be done about it.

The St Mary’s Catholic Primary School pupil put pen to paper when a mattress was dumped and set alight in the alleyway, just days after building materials were dumped just a few yards away.

Mum Kelly, 32, said: “We often use the alleyway as a short cut to the shops and we walk our dog along there.

“We had walked to the shops one afternoon and there was an old sink dumped there. Casey turned to me and said: 'That’s another thing we have to climb over. Mum, this is disgusting I’ve had enough.'

“So I told her that if she felt that strongly about it maybe she should write to the council. The next morning I came downstairs to find her sat at the table writing her letter. She spent all Saturday morning writing it.”

Casey sent this letter to Medway Council

Casey took photos of the rubbish and posted them, along with her letter of complaint to Medway Council.

She told the council about the dumped mattress, building materials and old bathroom sink, as well as the alleyway being littered with broken glass, dog mess and graffiti.

As a result of the letter, Medway Council has said it has asked its contractors to clear the area.

A spokesman for the council added: “We’re also planning to deal with the graffiti there and are making arrangements for our officers to patrol the alley to try and catch those responsible for dog fouling.

“We have also invited Casey out on a day out with our community officers during the summer holidays so she can see what they get up to.

“It’s very refreshing to know that someone as young as Casey cares for her local community and wants to help make a difference.”