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A Hillingdon woman said her family want to move out of the West London borough due to their concerns about fly-tippinng which she says has been ongoing for months. Residents living around Heathrow, especially in the Hayes and Harlington neighbourhoods, say they wake up to rats and mice due to people repeatedly dumping rubbish in the streets.
claims she has been contacting Hillingdon Council since January 2026 about what she describes as a daily problem along Craneswater, Bath Road, Cranford Lane, Eton Avenue, and Langley Crescent. The council, however, has explained while it has taken 'enforcement action' against fly-tippers in this area and installed CCTV that actually some of the waste seen along these streets has been left there on purpose.
A council spokesperson said refuse vehicles cannot access all parts of the named roads, meaning some residents have been asked to leave their household waste at a designated collection point on scheduled collection days. So what may appear to be a dumped fly-tip will actually be legitimately left rubbish in some cases.
Minreet told MyLondon: "This is affecting my parents. We have rats and mice running around, and our neighbours have heard them too. My mum is at breaking point and she cries.
"We are now looking to move but can't afford to. It's getting worse, and our council tax is going up, but nothing gets done about it." Minreet added: "These problems started ages ago. I've tweeted them and also emailed them about it several times."
For the 2026/27 financial year, Hillingdon Council increased council tax for residents by 4.99 per cent. Across the country more than 1.25 million fly-tipping incidents were logged in 2024/25 - equating to one incident every 25 seconds.
Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) demonstrates incidents have increased by 9 per cent year-on-year, intensifying strain on local authorities and scarring neighbourhoods. Figures also published showed that eight of the worst areas for fly-tipping incidents were in London.
Hillingdon Council said: "We take environmental crime extremely seriously and are determined to crack down on those who blight our neighbourhoods by illegally dumping waste.
"This location presents particular operational challenges because refuse vehicles cannot safely access all parts of the cul-de-sac. As a result, some residents have been asked to leave their household waste at a designated collection point on scheduled collection days.
"It is therefore important to distinguish between legitimate waste left for collection and the illegal fly-tipping carried out by individuals who show no respect for the community or the residents who live there.
"That criminal behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We have already taken enforcement action at this location and have installed CCTV, which is being actively monitored. Where evidence identifies those responsible, we will not hesitate to issue fixed penalty notices or pursue prosecutions through the courts.
"This is in addition to installing clear signage, providing advice to residents on the correct disposal of waste and how to report fly-tipping, and maintaining twice-weekly street cleansing visits. Following recent reports, the area has again been cleared.
"We continue to be in regular contact with residents about the steps being taken and will continue to monitor the site closely. Reports of rats have also been fully investigated by council officers and our pest control contractor, with no evidence found of a wider rodent problem in the surrounding area.
"We will continue to use every enforcement tool available to identify and take action against those responsible for environmental crime, while working with residents to keep the area clean and safe."
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