A reclusive homeowner has sparked outrage among neighbours after turning her front garden into a “rat-infested tip” of rubbish.
Sharon Cochrane, 66, has been ordered to clean up the “junkyard” in front of her £250,000 bungalow in Hunstanton, Norfolk.
The garden is piled high with broken furniture, household appliances and bags of rubbish that have been accumulating for months.
Neighbours say the eyesore is attracting vermin and creating health hazards in their otherwise neat cul-de-sac near the seafront.
Rubbish could already be seen piling up in 2023
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A Tesco trolley with recent food shopping sits outside the drive, containing Chestnut mushrooms dated April 30 and Tesco Finest Anchovies baking in the sun.
Parked on the curb is a white Nissan with a damaged bumper, featuring a human-sized stuffed toy in the passenger seat. The rubbish has spilled onto the pavement, forcing pedestrians to cross the road to avoid it.
One neighbour described seeing tyres and cast iron among the debris, saying it “would come up to your knees”.
Cochrane has defended herself, insisting the mess is “no-one else’s business.”
She told reporters: “The world is going to hell in a hand basket and people care so much about my furniture on my own drive. I don’t understand why people are so concerned.”
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The Borough Council ordered her to clean up the rubbish
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When questioned further, she added: “Does it look like I’m living my best life? I’m getting support but I’m a very private person and I don’t want to talk about my medical history to strangers.”
Tammy Edmunds, who lives on Chatsworth Road, said: “How can the law of the land let someone live in such squalor and filth?”
“It’s a fire hazard and risk of health and safety. We’ve heard of rats from there spreading across to other properties which has meant pest control have had to come out.”
Another resident complained: “It stinks, there are rats and it’s dangerous. It lowers the tone of the whole street. If people want to sell their houses it’s going to lower the price.”
Nine years ago, a fire at the property reportedly caught onto a neighbour’s roof. The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk has served Cochrane with an enforcement notice requiring her to clear the rubbish.
If she does not appeal by May 20, she will have seven days to comply with the order. Should she fail to do so, the council could carry out the work themselves and attempt to recover costs.
More seriously, she could face a court injunction which might lead to jail time for contempt of court if ignored. A council spokesman said: “We are aware of the issues raised and continue to work with all parties.”
One neighbour claimed Cochrane left another property on York Avenue “after it was repossessed and the council put all her stuff there.”
The same resident expressed concern about Cochrane’s pets, saying: “She’s got a dog and six cats – we called the RSPCA as they were living in squalor.”
