A dad is on a mission to tackle fly-tipping in Greater Manchester after yobs dumped piles of rubbish near his home.
Robert Dayne, 61, is used to cleaning up beaches in his native Australia. But when litter louts left a couch and rubbish bags in his street in Gorton he took matters into his own hands.
The bus driver patrols the streets of Gorton and other areas of Greater Manchester to pick up the illegally dumped waste and drop at the tip.
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Robert, originally from Australia, told the Manchester Evening News: "The earth is literally our home, why not take care of it?
“It really does annoy me when I see people littering. Someone left three garbage bags and a couch on our road that it got me involved with environmentally helping in the area. It just made our road look nasty."
The father-of-one was left shocked by the number of alleys filled with TVs, couches, toys and even PlayStations.
A photo shows a sofa abandoned in Clayton Lane South, West Gorton, which Robert rescued. He added: "Our family have always cared about the environment. I never understood people who don't.
"We always try tore cycle, donate to environmental causes and I'm just doing my part."
Robert often visits Debdale Park just a few minutes walk from his Gorton home.
He added: "It's beautiful. I stroll through it every other week and take some gloves with me in case I find any rubbish."
Fly-tippers struck 35 times every hour across northern England in 2020-21 , latest Government figures revealed. The 310,000 annual figure is a 15 per cent rise on the previous year.
Robert, who moved from Sydney to Manchester in 2010, has issued a rallying cry to other residents to help tackle the worrying trend.
He said: "It has to be a collective effort from all Gorton residents to keep the area clean. The councillors are trying their best - but it's time the residents to put in the extra mile."
Councillor Tracy Rawlins, Manchester City Council's executive member for environment, said: "We understand that over the Christmas period most households produce a greater volume of rubbish.
"But it is totally unacceptable for rubbish like this to be dumped in alleyways, it is unsightly and unfair on residents who dispose of their waste responsibly.
"Fly tipping often increases slightly when a holiday or celebration occurs e.g. Christmas, Halloween and Bonfire Night. It brings an excess of people and more rubbish is more likely to be found on streets, alleyways and parks."
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