A neighbour fears the pavements near her home are becoming “unsafe” due to being blocked by food trolleys and cages that have been left discarded by nearby shops.

Claudia Paisley, of Hatfield Road, Watford, feels Watford Borough Council is “ignoring” her pleas to crack down on fly-tipping along nearby St Albans Road, where there various food outlets and shops.

She says the untidy footpaths are turning into “miniature reservoirs” when it rains, which could be hazardous for people trying to navigate the obstructed pavements.

Ms Paisley said: “Why are shops allowed to park their heavy industrial bins, high sided food trolleys and cages permanently on double lines and on pavements?

“These distorted footways and gulleys regularly become miniature reservoirs when it rains and are a nightmare to negotiate when walking or parking. This mess is further compounded by large discarded household items which are fast becoming part of the ever degrading street scene.

“We pay taxes and expect a reasonable service and do not expect shoddy treatment. There should be inspections of sites and enforcement to ensure our footways are safe to use. Unfortunately, it seems that those who run the council not only ignore us but are actually part of the problem and not the solution with insensitive plans to build more parking free chicken coops. What is the point of having an expensive local council who don’t care about our neighbourhoods?”

Cllr Peter Taylor, who represents Client Services at Watford Borough Council, said: “Due to the high footfall in this busy area, a team cleans St Albans Road every day - picking up litter and empty bins. A full mechanical sweep is also carried out every week along the road.

“In the past month there have been six reports of flytipping in St Albans Road. Our environmental crime officers conduct thorough investigations wherever we receive reports of inadequate waste storage or illegal commercial waste disposal. We proactively visit businesses – including those in St Albans Road – to advise them on waste disposal.

“All businesses must have a commercial waste contract and must not dispose of their waste through household or public litter bins. Late-night takeaways are responsible for cleaning up the areas near their properties under licensing regulations. Where businesses are causing problems and do not have legal waste disposal arrangements we can serve a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £300. We will prosecute where they continue to cause problems.”

To report flytipping, visit watford.gov.uk/flytipping or ring Watford Borough Council on 01923 226400

Alternatively, contact Veolia on enquiries.watford@veolia.co.uk or 0203 567 6900 to report littering.