29 January 2024 , 21:32
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Residents are fuming after a massive pile of rubbish was found dumped at the entrance of a cemetery.
The incident, at Gorton Cemetery in east Manchester, is the latest in a string of fly-tipping incidents to have plagued the area in recent months. Locals have started their own litter-picking team and have called the dumping as "disgusting and despicable". Sandra Kaur, 31, who lives next to the cemetery, told Manchester Evening News: "When I saw the garbage outside the entrance I couldn't believe it. I have friends who have people buried in the area and for someone to think it's acceptable to dump that much rubbish outside a cemetery is absolutely disgraceful.
"Who would do something like this? Who the f**k do you think you are? I'm raging and so are some other neighbours. This is a place of respect and where the dead are resting. Sandra added she has found a variety of items among the rubbish, including a toilet seat, bags of manure and compost, and leather straps. The rubbish has been reported and will be removed as soon as possible by Manchester City Council.
Neighbours had already voiced concerns about the culprits after one mum revealed her daughter's grave had been vandalised, with flowers being torn and lights around the stone being snapped and visible footprints on an attached cross. A local resident expressed his shock, saying: "I read the report on the grave being defiled a few weeks ago and now this? What the hell is going on? This is sick and evil. We need to find out who is doing this.
"It's becoming more worrying because this never happened in the past. Yes people stole, fly-tipped and other bad stuff but doing this at a cemetery? I have no doubt it's those who are younger so their parents really need to sort them out. It's the younger generation thinking they can just come and do stuff like this without repercussions."
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Gorton locals have banded together on social media to combat the fly-tipping issue by keeping a closer eye on their streets. Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon (Lab), the council's executive member for vibrant neighbourhoods, said: "It is disgraceful someone had the gall not only to fly-tip a significant amount of waste, but to do it in proximity to a cemetery.
"I would like to say we will do our utmost to track down the perpetrator and bring them to justice. As a Council we work hard to investigate all acts of reported fly-tipping and remove them as swiftly as possible. If anyone in the community has any information about who may have done this I would urge them to contact us, or anonymously contact Crimestoppers."
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