HOUSEHOLDERS worn down by the constant exposure to a mountain of junk, including broken glass, rusty metal, splintered wood, and dumped furniture, have called for stricter measures to catch the culprits causing a health hazard in their community.

The neighbours from Claybury, Bushey, say companies and individuals have been using the back of their garages as a dumping ground for a number of years, despite garage owner, Dudrich (Holdings) Limited, issuing warnings that it will prosecute offenders.

Their complaints come days after Hertsmere Borough Council admitted, at a special review meeting of its Best Value Performance of 2002, that it had failed to hit the Government targets in recycling municipal waste, and collecting household rubbish.

Bushey Park Ward Councillor Lynne Hodgson, who lives in Claybury, said: "It is the same old story, the rubbish builds up, it is eventually removed and the cycle repeats itself all over again.

She said: "This is not an isolated case, it happens all around the country, in fact it is happening on Sandy Lane in Bushey, I have seen mattresses dumped on the walls of the old cemetery, I think is disgraceful. "

She said her neighbours agreed a permanent solution was needed to stop the fly-tippers from habitually dumping in Claybury. She added: "We have had everything dumped here and it worries me because young children see the rubbish mound as an adventure playground, the thought of a child badly hurting himself terrifies me."

Mr Rodger Dudding, managing director of Dudrich Holdings Limited, said his company spent £25,000 a month clearing dumped rubbish next to his garages.

He said the main culprits were residents themselves which often made it difficult to trace the fly-tippers, or small businesses which could not afford to meet the costs of recycling.

He said: "The police need to get tougher on these people, the magistrates need to be more draconian in its sentencing and not just fine people about £20 when it costs us hundreds of pounds to have the rubbish removed. I think the local authorities also need to review their business tariffs, perhaps if they did not charge so much, more people would recycle."

A Hertsmere Council spokesman said: "At a Best Value Performance Plan meeting held recently, Councillor Spencer Pitfield said it cost tax payers £160,000 to clean up after fly-tippers."

The spokesman said fly-tipping was a national problem, to combat the problem the Government had installed CCTV in dumping hot spots so the culprits could be caught red-handed.

He added: "Those caught can be prosecuted up to £20,000 or spend at least two years in jail. If you know someone has been dumping rubbish in unauthorised areas, call 01923 331 652."

June 24, 2002 19:00