Pontypool family left to 'live like animals' amid fly tipping horror

Layla Mayo, who has lived in the property managed by Bron Afon Community Housing in Pontypool for the last six years, says the level of fly tipping around her property has got significantly worse over the past six months.

Layla Mayo and her partner have lived in the property for six years (Image: Layla Mayo) Miss Mayo, who lives in the house with her partner and her young child, claims she has noticed the fly tipping becoming more frequent in the last few months, and feels that Bron Afon are not doing enough to clear it.

Bron Afon’s Director of Property, Mark Doubler, said they removed the rubbish and thoroughly cleaned the area to make sure it was safe. 

She said: “We’ve reported the issue numerous times over the past four to five months alone, but not enough is being done.

“The amount of times we’ve had to call to report the problem is just horrendous. The smell is disgusting, and it’s forcing my family to live in filth and like animals.”

The family have seen the fly tipping get so bad that they have begun to get maggots encroaching on their home from the rubbish, along with a major stench.

Miss Mayo says the fly tipping has led to her home being infested with maggots (Image: Layla Mayo) Miss Mayo also said that she has previously been accused of causing the fly tipping herself by neighbours, which resulted in a visit from a housing officer, who she claims threatened to prove it was her that was responsible for the problem, despite Miss Mayo showing him pictures that she says proved otherwise.

She continued: “I told them I didn’t appreciate being spoken to like that in front of the whole community, and my child, and I reminded them that I’d reported the fly tipping months ago without any response.

“Although they eventually did clear the rubbish, it keeps happening and building up to a point where the smell comes in the house and there’s not a lot we can do about it.”

Most recently, the fly tipping has allegedly caused a maggot infestation from August 11 for a number of weeks, which left the family unable to get out of their front door due to maggot damage on their steps, which are still waiting to be cleaned and sprayed.

Miss Mayo says the fly tipping has got worse over the past six months (Image: Layla Mayo) Miss Mayo explained: “We now feel like rubbish in our own home, because we know we’ve reported this ongoing issue with fly tipping but Bron Afon just don’t seem to want to know unless it’s to blame us.

“I feel like we’ve been left to live like animals, which is not good not for just my mental and physical health, but the health of my child and my partner.

“We lived here for a while with no problems, but suddenly in the last three years it’s got noticeably worse, and no one seems to care.

“I’ve just had enough. My child has complained that it stinks in the house, and I feel awful because there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

The family say they are being forced 'to live like animals' due to the smell and consistent fly tipping (Image: Layla Mayo) Bron Afon’s Director of Property, Mark Doubler, said: “As soon as we were made aware of fly tipping in the bin store near Ms Mayo’s home, our estates team removed the rubbish and thoroughly cleaned the area to make sure it was safe. 

“Sadly, fly tipping is caused by people not disposing of their waste correctly. We have spoken with residents about their responsibility to dispose of rubbish correctly in the bins provided and to let Torfaen Council know if any of these are missing, as bags containing household waste and left beside bins will not be collected.  

“No one should have to put up with fly tipping and the hazards it can cause to people and the environment. It also creates a cost for us every time we have to deal with it.”