Hotelier's fury at litter hazard on his street

Mark Solomon, 67, owner of The Kenley on St Chad’s Road, Blackpool, says the amount of rubbish gathering in the street behind his hotel each week makes the area look like an unsightly mess .

He said: “By the evening the whole area looks like a war zone.

“It’s unbelieveable and it’s a health hazard.

“I’m a chef in my own hotel and I don’t dare leave the door open for fear of what might walk in.

“In all my years of owning and operating restaurants I have never seen such an accumulation of rubbish in my life.

“Seagulls swoop down and get into the bags. It’s a free-for-all for any animal - cats, rats, birds, you name it.

“It’s just ridiculous.”

Blackpool Council’s waste collection service offers both a bin and bag removal service, with plastic bags given to properties that don’t have sufficient storage space for a bin.

Mr Solomon, whose hotel has won holiday booking website Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice award four years in a row, added that he fears the litter will have a negative effect on The Kenley’s ‘excellent’ rating - and that his business is not the only one that will suffer.

He said: “I have very high standards. If I was a customer and I looked at that I’d think what are the people inside doing? Of course it affects business.

“I know plenty of other hotel owners who have complained about it but it seems like it’s impossible to get anything done.

“The council needs to get rid of the plastic bags and replace them with wheely bins with proper lids that the birds can’t get into.

“I love Blackpool and that’s why I bought this hotel. I wasn’t aware of this kind of problem.

“I’m dreading getting up every morning and seeing what’s out there.

“It’s enough to make me want to pack up and leave.”

Coun Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said: “I share the frustration of these hoteliers.

“Nobody wants to see our streets looking like this. All of this rubbish was cleared away but it would be far better to prevent the problem in the first place.

“For residents and businesses using plastic sacks for their waste we urge them only to put them out for collection the night before or better still first thing in the morning.

“If they are put out too early it does leave the sacks vulnerable to seagulls or animals damaging them and causing a mess like this.

“The hotels on St Chad’s Road, like every business in Blackpool, pay for a commercial waste collection service.

“While a large number of business employ the council to carry out this service there are other operators available. Businesses chose the level of service they want and a lot opt for a bin to store all their waste rather than a plastic sack service.

“We will monitor this area and speak to local residents and businesses who are putting their waste out at the wrong time.”