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Strood man clears fly-tipping hotspot in North Street for 27 years

A pub landlord has tidied up an area of land opposite his home for almost 30 years.

Bob Jackson, of North Street in Strood, describes the fly-tipping hotspot as a "changing room for shoplifted clothes" a "public toilet" and even a place to "jack up or trade drugs".

Bob has called on the land owners to clean up the area. Picture: Bob Jackson
Bob has called on the land owners to clean up the area. Picture: Bob Jackson

The 76-year-old is now fed up of tending to the space which sits in North Street on the junction with Friary Walk.

He said: "The piece of land opposite my lounge widow has for the most part been landscaped and three quarters of it contains well kept bushes and trees.

"The last quarter is used as a public toilet, a changing room for shoplifted clothes, a place to jack up or trade drugs or a sorting room for donated goods that people fly-tip behind the Strood Community Centre thinking they are donating."

Bob, who is the landlord of the 1050 from Victoria micropub across the road from the site, has called on the landowners to tackle the ongoing issue.

Bob Jackson, 76, from Strood. Picture: Bob Jackson
Bob Jackson, 76, from Strood. Picture: Bob Jackson

"I have personally litter-picked this land for the past 27 years but it has now too much for me", Bob said.

"During the summer months, there are leaves on the trees and it's not so noticeable. But this time of year, there's no leaves and I can see it all from my window, there is a whole van load of it.

"The volume of rubbish there now would fill a skip. I've just had enough. I'm the wrong side of 70 to be picking up other people's rubbish.

"It's an ideal place for junkies and thieves. It's got worse and worse and it's time someone else took over."

Medway council confirmed it does not own the spot in question. Inquiries to determine the land owners are ongoing.

Bob Jackson, 76, from Strood, is fed up of cleaning up the area. Picture: Bob Jackson
Bob Jackson, 76, from Strood, is fed up of cleaning up the area. Picture: Bob Jackson

Other Medway residents have reported litter problems slightly further afield over the past year.

A couple from Gillingham collected more than 150 bags of litter from the streets during lockdown.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway

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