'We're going through half a kilo of rat poison a week'

Businesses are urging the council to do more after fly-tipping led to a rat infestation close to food manufacturers and an after-school club.

"Several tonnes" of rubbish have been dumped on land on the corner of Carter Street and Granby Street on the outskirts of Bradford city centre, according to one business owner who said he was currently using "half a kilo of rat poison a week".

Matt Langford, owner of Cartec of Bradford, said the fly-tipping started in the spring and attracted rats and caused foul smells.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said the latest report of fly-tipping in the area had come in "a couple of days ago and the majority of waste was removed immediately".

"The council takes fly-tipping seriously and remains committed to keeping public spaces clean and safe for businesses and residents," they added.

"We started having rats three months ago and they've been running wick [wild]. We've been going through about half a kilo of rat poison a week," Langford said.

Council officers arrived at the site on Wednesday to clear much of the rubbish, but Langford said he was concerned it could easily happen again.

He said he believed the problem was due in part to the closure of a number of tips in the district, so "people see it as an easy out to chuck it on the side of the road and then it's somebody else's problem".

"There were building rubble, mattresses, old tyres, you name it, general house waste, there were everything piled on there," he said.

Bradford Council closed tips at Ford Hill in Queensbury, Sugden End, in Keighley, and Golden Butts, in Ilkley, in March 2024 as part of cost-saving measures.

Under the new Reform UK administration, the council has promised to reopen Sugden End Household Waste Recycling Centre before the end of the year.

In August, prime minister Andy Burnham visited one of the UK's largest illegal waste sites on Midland Road in Bradford to announce bigger fines for fly-tipping.

Paul Webster, owner of West Yorkshire Pest Control, said tip closures had been a factor in a rise in rat activity across Bradford in recent years.

"We are receiving multiple calls daily from residents reporting rats in their homes, gardens and businesses," he said.

"If rubbish remains for a prolonged period, which is often the case, rats may establish nests and burrows in the surrounding environment. Once established, they can continue living nearby even after the original waste has been removed."

Aliya Ilyas, senior staff member at Kidz Campus, said parents had complained to her about the illegal dumping, but there was nothing they could do about it.

"Before they used to be able to park and collect their kids, but now they can't because of all the mess," she said.

Ilyas said they were avoiding taking the children outside because of the rats and the mess.

"Last week we took them for a walk and we were trying to get wood to make things for arts and crafts, but because of the mess we had to give up and come back," she said.

A worker at Monkman's Brass Foundry opposite the patch of land, who wished to remain anonymous, said it had been a recurring problem over the three years he had worked there.

"They cleared the whole thing today, but there's still rats everywhere, it's a mess. We can't clear our skips or access our facilities so it's a bit of a nightmare," he said.

"The last conversation I had with my boss was 'how long do you give it until it's back again?'

"Ideally they would strip these trees down so you could see it from the road. Because if anything goes on the public highway or the pavements it's cleared within the hour.

"But because it's slightly hidden here and it's an industrial estate not many members of the public come past here – but for our working conditions, it's not ideal."

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