An overflowing bin down a no man's land alleyway - branded a fly tipping hotspot - has been cleaned up by a homeless couple.

Community campaigner Tony Weafer despaired that a large Biffa waste bin behind Costa Coffee on Shirley Road had been ransacked, spreading rubbish through the alleyway and encouraging people to dump more waste.

So the 72-year-old enlisted the help of a homeless couple – Karine and Nathan – who have been sleeping rough nearby for three months to help clear it up.

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Nathan and Karine clearing the litter (Image: Tony Weafer)

He said: “They’re lovely people and I’ve got to know them a little bit over the last couple of weeks.

“They’re registered with the street homeless prevention team and are waiting for a new home. I’m grateful that they were happy to help out and do something for the benefit of the community.”

The pair cleared away and bagged plastic, wood, and even a mattress – which took two hours in all – before positioning the waste at the end of the alleyway, which the council eventually picked up on Friday, July 19.

Tony Weafer (Image: Newsquest)“The alleyway has been a hotspot for rubbish for a considerable period of time,” said Tony.

"People rummage through the bins and then if litter is left on the ground, more and more gets dumped there."

He added: “I’ve spoken to the council about it before but it’s private land, which means it’s not their responsibility to clear the rubbish and having spoken to the businesses around there too, they don’t want to get involved and their staff aren’t made to clear it.”

The alleyway after the council removed the rubbish (Image: Tony Weafer)He added: “It seems like these sort of things – rubbish issues in particular – are down to the community to report and deal with.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Costa Coffee said: "Costa Coffee takes its commitment to the environment and the local communities we operate in extremely seriously.

"We have spoken to the local council previously regarding waste in the surrounding areas to our store on Shirley Road."

They added: "We have multiple, locked bins which are for store-use only, and our team members from the Shirley Road store work hard to keep the local area of the store clean.”