An alleyway has started to resemble a horror home-from-home after a freezer, settee and a chip pan filled with chips were discovered dumped there.

The filthy throughway off Richmond Street, Sheerness, also contained a makeshift bed, evidence that someone could have been sleeping rough in the narrow, rubbish-strewn strip between rows of terraced houses.

According to resident Peter Demoore, the area has long been a magnet for litter louts. “Things are always being fly-tipped here, it’s like a ghetto,” he said.

“One side of the alley behind my house is covered in dog mess, and the other half is someone’s homemade den.

“People have been using the alley as a dumping ground for settees, wash tubs, vacuum cleaners... it’s all accumulated.”

Mr Demoore, 69, a retired tailor, has lived in the street for nine years. He said he and his wife often took to clearing the dumped waste themselves.

“But it’s getting out of hand,” he said. “I came out the back gate on Monday morning and it looked like someone had definitely been sleeping in the alley.

“In the past we’ve even found needles lying around.”

Mr Demoore’s fears that the mound of frequently dumped household items could become a health hazard were founded last year when he discovered a rat among the rubbish.

“It’s disgusting and there are lots of young children around here,” he said.

Mr Demoore said he complained to Swale council about the mess on Monday, but was reportedly told it could take 10 days before contractors cleared it up.

A council spokesman said a CCTV camera had been installed in Richmond Street due to “repeated cases” of fly-tipping.

“We do have evidence from a recent incident, and are now working to identify the offenders with a view to taking appropriate legal action,” he said.

“The dumped rubbish will be cleared as soon as possible, and checked for further evidence that could be used in any prosecution.”

The council urged people to call 999 if they witness anyone dumping waste.

“If rubbish has already been dumped, report it to us on 01795 417850 so we can try find any evidence of its source, and to clear it as quickly as practical,” the spokesman added.