'˜Human excrement' left on doorstep for six weeks by Kettering Council despite complaint from disgusted resident

Disgusted resident Sue Bedford complained to the council’s environmental department on April 12 after spotting the mess at the Royal Hotel, which closed earlier this year.

She received acknowledgement of her complaint but after six weeks it was still there – and she branded the lack of dynamism a health hazard.

She said: “On or about April 12, someone (definitely human because it was witnessed) deposited two very large amounts of excrement in the second doorway down of the Royal Hotel in West Street.

“Seeing as the Royal Hotel is now closed you could hardly expect they would clear it up.

“This prompted me to report it to the council. I use West Street every day, so do many other residents.

“As you can imagine this was a disgusting sight to walk past every day, it would surely be a health hazard and I believed that the council would take prompt action.

“Wrong - obviously a few weeks have now elapsed, there are flies, the deposits have dried out, the doorway is often used for urination.”

When the Northants Telegraph put Ms Bedford’s complaint to a council spokesman, we were promised that the mess would be cleaned within an hour.

But when questioned as to why it took six weeks and whether there was a failure in the complaints system, the spokesman added that there was no further comment and that they “will be making inquiries”.

Ms Bedford says the situation may have been different if the mess was on the council’s doorstep.

She added: “I realise the person who did this may have had a problem but why did the council not do anything?”

“If this had been on the doorstep of the council buildings, would it have just been left to stagnate?”