Contractors spotted cleaning away piles of syringes and rubbish from Northampton's 'Rat Island'

A contractor team from Veolia was spotted yesterday (February 5) disposing of crates, duvets, tents and used needles left out in the open on the piece of land known as 'Rat Island', on the east end of the former Greyfriars bus station site.

The hazardous waste is the remains of a 'camp' that was moved on from the site in November 2018. The Chronicle & Echo understands the 'camp' was not occupied by homeless people or rough sleepers when it was in use.

Now, the borough council is urging residents to report any instance of flytipping they spot in the town on the council's website so they can work to remove it. A borough council spokesperson said: “We urge members of the public to report any needles to us for clearance."

Flytipping, syringes and hazardous waste can be reported using the 'Report It' page on Northampton Borough Council's website.