Care home row over 'eyesore' debris in gardens

Residents living near a former care home say their gardens have been filled by rubbish which has blown on to their properties after being left outside.

People living near Fitzroy Lodge in Windsor Road, Worthing, say items left outside the building are "disgusting" and "an eyesore" and have been being blown on to their property since appearing last week.

The owner of the building told BBC Radio Sussex the items were being removed ahead of a sale of the site, and he hoped to have the debris cleared by the end of this week.

Craig Smith, a neighbour who lives next door to the site, said: "It has been an absolute nightmare for residents."

He added: "There is rubbish everywhere, and it flows down the road. It's piling up every day."

Another neighbour said: "My bin is now full of the rubbish. It's just not very good, but also it's a one-off so I am not too concerned."

Prakash Beeharry, who owns the site and has been clearing debris, said he had taken all reasonable steps to have the rubbish removed in good time.

He said the debris had been moved outside to be removed as a condition of any sale of the 25-bedroom building, which is currently on the market for £1.2 million.

The 72-year-old, who said he had owned the building since 2005, said: "I'm not trying to shirk my responsibilities. We are trying to get things moving.

"Within a week I am pretty sure I can clear it."

Prior to closing permanently in 2023, Fitzroy Lodge was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with an inspection in May 2022 finding "wide spread concerns about the quality and safety of the service".

The report also raised "widespread failings in the management of the service".

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