A Shirley resident has branded the area a magnet for rubbish as fly-tippers have repeatedly targeted a section of road on Foyes Corner, just off Shirley Road.

Tony Weafer, founder of community group Shirley and Freemantle Watch, told the Echo that fly-tippers have repeatedly got away with using the road as a dumping ground for years and that residents of the neighbouring apartments had no choice but to pile their own rubbish on top of it due to the communal waste bin overflowing.

He said: “It’s been an ongoing issue for years and it seems like the same people think they can get away with it because it keeps happening.

“The rubbish is anything from ordinary bags of household waste to an entire mattress and it just spills out into the road, so you have to walk around it. The road has become a magnet for rubbish and it’s not the first time Shirley has been subjected to fly-tipping.”

The 72-year-old questioned why the fly-tippers were disposing of their waste on the road.

He added: “Why are they having to fly-tip?

READ MORE: Shirley resident calls for more to be done to stop fly-tipping

Tony WeaferTony Weafer (Image: Newsquest) “Is it because they’re living somewhere where landlords aren’t providing bins, they don’t know any better, or they just think they can do what they want?

“It’s the everyday people and businesses in Shirley who are affected the most and left to clean the mess up.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Southampton City Council said they understood residents’ frustrations and that waste was cleared from the road on Friday morning.

They said: “The council was made aware of the rubbish on Thursday, July 3, and our crews cleared all waste on the morning of Friday, July 4.

“We understand how frustrating it can be for residents to see litter or fly-tipping in their neighbourhood, and we sympathise with those affected.

“We encourage members of the public to continue reporting incidents via our online form so we can respond as quickly as possible.

"We’d also encourage residents to dispose of their waste responsibly — including using our Household Waste Recycling Centres and Bulky Waste collection services where appropriate — as doing so can help prevent fly-tipping in the first place."