An 87-year-old widow’s life is being blighted by flytipping next door to the home in Bradford where she has lived for 68 years.

Mary Barraclough said the stress of the dumping near her home in Lower Rushton Road, Thornbury, was making her ill. She says people have been scavenging among the rubbish and rats have been seen infesting the area.

Mother-of-three Mrs Barraclough said problems started when her neighbours moved out and tipped all their furniture into the garden. She said: “It has just been an eyesore. At one point there was even a car in the garden.

“Bradford Council sent me a letter saying they would pick the rubbish up but the landlord would have to pay.

“It has been like this since the start of May. Nothing is happening.

“I have been really down since this happened. I have treatment at the hospital and get all worked up over this.

“I don’t want to move because I keep my house clean and and am friendly with a lot of people down here.”

She said the private landlord had said he would clear the property but it would take another month.

Neshada Bibi, who owns the house next to Mrs Barraclough, said the Council would only remove four items from the garden at a time and people used the garden as a “waste ground” because the property was empty.

“I am moving in myself and getting a builder to do the work and he can take it all away in a skip,” Mrs Bibi said.

“I feel for Mrs Barraclough because we have struck up a close relationship with her, but tenants and others have been throwing stuff in the garden and treating it as a wasteground. The delay is the Council taking four items and then I have to wait six to 12 weeks for them to take another four items.”

Carol Morgan, Bradford Council environmental health manager, said: “When this matter was reported, Council wardens and an enforcement officer visited the property.

“As the owner has ignored a warning letter asking them to remove the rubbish, we will take enforcement action requiring the site to be cleared.

“The law says we have to allow 28 days for the owner to comply with the notice. If they do not we can either prosecute or issue a fixed penalty notice.

"We also have the power to remove the waste and recover the cost from the owner. Where we are unable to secure co-operation we will have no hesitation in enforcing owners’ and occupiers’ responsibilities.”