A HEREFORD business owner has slammed Herefordshire Council for a "filthy and disgusting" city centre which he says will kill trade when lockdown eases.

Financial advisor Paul Davies, of Kingfurness and Associates, said a bag of overflowing rubbish had been outside his office in Eign Street for almost a month before Herefordshire Council removed it.

He said that was only after emailing and calling Herefordshire Council to try and get it cleaned up, even though the council says it empties bins and litter picks in the city centre every day.

Mr Davies, who lives is Stretton Sugwas but is originally from the South Wales Valleys, thinks if litter louts continue to blight the city centre, it will deter visitors and potential tenants of empty shops.

He had complained to Herefordshire Council about a gull-proof rubbish bag full of rubbish between Eign Gate and Bewell Street, and a second mound of dumped rubbish at the entrance to Primark's service yard.

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"There's a lot of problem with drug addicts down there [Eign Gate], but that bin has been there for maybe three or four weeks," he said.

"We're supposed to tie another seagull sack up the next window down every Thursday, they clear the sack on Friday morning and we bring the sack back in.

"But this is filthy and disgusting.

"Somebody came to pick the bag up and walked off. All the spillage out of the bag was on the floor, never picked it up.

"I had to send another email to complain about that, but it's all been picked up.

"They've done it, but it'll happen again, these bags just get filled up."

Hereford Times: Rubbish was left behind after Herefordshire Council's contractor had taken the bag away Rubbish was left behind after Herefordshire Council's contractor had taken the bag away

Mr Davies, 57, added: "I'm from the Valleys, and you'll know up there they don't care about their towns and cities, and if we're not careful Hereford is going to become a real third-world situation."

He said it would be hard to find tenants for empty shops, such as the former Shoe Box shop in Bewell Street, if the "disgusting conditions" continued.

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A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said: “We were made aware of fly-tipped waste at these locations and it has now been removed.

"Fly-tipped waste has previously been an issue at the back of Primark’s service yard and we will be taking action to remind residents in the area of the collection service provided and the need to dispose of their waste correctly.

"Moving forward we will be monitoring the area thoroughly for additional fly tipping with a view to carrying out enforcement action.

“In advance of this coming seagull season we will be working to ensure that all business are aware of their responsibilities to dispose of waste lawfully and prevent the spillage of waste, creating litter, when doing so.

"Businesses will be reminded to use their seagull sacks properly and to return them to within their property after collections to try and prevent this sort of incident happening again.

“A Balfour Beatty Living Places operative is based in the city centre every day of the week, to empty litter bins and collect litter as required.

"We encourage anybody who has concerns about waste that has been left out incorrectly or fly tipped to report this at herefordshire.gov.uk/report-problem.”