RESIDENTS are sharing their concerns after a huge rubbish heap was chucked outside a Southampton flat block.

Debris were piled on top of each other, including an old chair, mattress, picture frame, gardening soil, packaging for a pushchair, and even a full-blown sofa, and they have been disposed of and left to waste in front of Lydgate Close building.

According to a nearby resident, children have been playing on the materials since they were left there on Monday, but the rubbish heap still remains outside.

Daily Echo:

She said: "We live in the flat nearby and I'm always picking up rubbish around here - it's disgusting and horrible.

"We saw them doing it three days ago and there was a bed left there too which has gone, but everything else is still there."

Daily Echo:

Another resident, Claire Cheer, 54, who is a teaching assistant, said: "The main thing is that it is a fire risk and obviously from where it is positioned under a balcony, if someone discarded a cigarette butt by accident, it could go up in flames.

"The council collected rubbish that was already there on Tuesday, but then after someone moved out on Tuesday and chucked more stuff out, it has just accumulated since."

Claire said she contacted the council both on Tuesday and Wednesday but was told that the issue had been reported to the waste department.

Waste bins provided by Southampton City Council are also situated in a separate area near the flat building.

Daily Echo:

She added: "We pay rent and we obviously don't want to live in a rubbish tip."

Another resident, who does not want to be named, said: "It does bother us as even nappies have been thrown out the window. It's an eyesore to look at."

One resident said: "I saw someone chucking stuff over the balcony on Monday or Tuesday and thought what on earth are they doing, but I assume that Southampton City Council will be picking it up - I've seen them picking stuff up from other blocks since."

Another resident said: "I don't have a clue whose it is but it doesn't really affect us."

Southampton City Council said they were not aware of any rubbish issues at the flats and that they have now removed the waste heap after visiting the area.