A parish councillor has hit out at Swale council over fly-tipped rubbish which is strewn over roads in Sheerness making it look like ‘a slum’.

Peter MacDonald, who is on Minster Parish Council and a well-known community campaigner, has taken on the fight for residents in the town who are fed up with the state of things.

In particular, he says there is an issue in Clarence Row, which is the street off Royal Road that runs parallel to the tennis courts next to the leisure centre.

Not only are there bags of waste which have been left, he says there is also a problem with mud and leaves not being cleared, as well as dumped furniture and other rubbish.

The 73-year-old says he has reported it to the borough council, as have several of the people who live there, but nothing has been done.

He said: “It looks like a slum – it’s appalling. Instead of relying on it being reported, [the council] should be going out and having a look. All the alleyways are in an appalling state too.

“There are bags of rubbish piling up and a lot of fly-tipping – it hasn’t been cleaned properly for several years.

“I have complained various times but nothing has been done and I think it’s about time we started shouting about it.

“It wouldn’t happen in Faversham – Sheerness is unloved.”

Mr MacDonald says speaking out about it makes him ‘feel like Victor Meldrew’ but that it looks like it’s the only way to get something done.

He added: “The residents are fed-up; they have complained but nothing has been done.”

A Swale council spokesman said it received reports of fly-tipping from the Kent County Council warden, which were all dealt with.

Cabinet member for environmental and rural affairs, Cllr David Simmons, said: “We have waste collections in place, waste sites across Swale and for a small fee, bulky items can be collected directly from your home.

“We tackle fly-tipping as a community and welcome reports of it. We will not tolerate this blight on our community and we will work with residents to continue to tackle fly-tipping across the borough.”