SAFETY concerns have been raised after a road has been plagued by ‘the worst fly tipping’ in Blackburn.

Residents and business owners have been forced to put up with dozens of damaged cars, mattresses and countless bin bags that have been abandoned in Dombey Street, Blackburn.

The rubbish lies close to a children’s play area and basket ball court and parents have been put off letting their children near it in fear of hurting themselves on the broken glass, metal and plastic.

Paul Nightingale, owner of S&S Steelstock Ltd, in Dickens Street, said the problem of fly tipping has grown in increasing months.

He said: “The mess is absolutely disgusting, there’s dozens of cars there without tax, MOT and insurance.

“There’s mattresses and bin bags after bin bags, it’s the worst fly tipping I have ever seen in Blackburn.

“Every night more stuff keeps coming, I’ve tried to contact the council but I get passed from office to office and its never been sorted.

"Lorries used to turn onto Dombey Street to go back up Dickens Street, but now they cannot do that because its blocked so they have to slowly reverse hundreds of yards back up to leave, it's very annoying for them."

Majida Khan, who lives on neighbouring Pringle Street, said she’s stopped her children playing on the park because of the fly tipping.

She said: “I’m scared of them playing because they always want to play hide and seek and I can just imagine they’d want to go near the cars.

“The road should be relaid and properly sorted out and that should deter people from fly tipping.

“Why have a lovely park next to a terrible eye sore.”

A Dickens Street resident said around 80 rats which lived inside the rubbish had been killed .

Sara Ali, also of Dickens Street, said: " There's rubbish everywhere, it's become a nightmare.

"I've lived here for a year and it's become really bad in recent months, it's horrible to look at.

"You wonder who does it, there was lots of stuff set on fire in November and the remains were left there ever since."

Blackburn with Darwen Council was approached for a comment.