A woman is fighting back against drug users and fly-tippers who have turned the alleyway at the back of her home into one of the filthiest spots in the country.
Annie Valentine, 57, has even been targeted by thieves who tried to ‘hot-wire’ her mobility scooter.Â
But the retired chef has become ‘force of nature’ in her in Danesbury Place, Blackpool, due to her determination to clean it up and make it a nicer place to live.
Annie only moved into her terraced home in June. Her house is just a mile from the iconic Blackpool Tower and the seaside town’s other glittering attractions along the promenade.
But Annie said she has been has been blighted by drug addicts and fly-tippers whom she regularly confronts and films using her mobile camera, which has helped police identify and arrest one suspect so far.
All kinds of rubbish has been dumped in her alleyway including building waste, mattresses and even a wrecked van.
In one sickening incident, she found a rubbish bag full to the brim of human faeces.
Hearing voices in the alleyway one evening, she opened her front door and found a woman and a man squatting down beside the gate.
Retired chef Annie Valentine, 57, (pictured) has been hailed as a ‘force of nature’ after standing up against yobs, drug addicts and fly-tippers
Her street, Danesbury Place, is within sight of the iconic Blackpool Tower
It is just minutes from the stunning beach but has been blighted with drug addicts and yobs
One was spotted searching for crack cocaine by the bins on the street
Another was filmed squatting in the corner of the street that has been plagued with anti-social behaviourÂ
Used syringes and broken plastic litter the floor on top of sharps of ceramic tileÂ
In the distance, the famous Blackpool Tower can be seen in all its glory
‘What you doing?’ she asked.
‘I’m having a pipe,’ the woman replied. ‘But I’ve lost my crack.’
Annie admits it’s a constant battle to try to reduce nuisance behaviour, although she says both the council and local neighbourhood police team have supported her one-woman crusade.
‘The problem is the gates to alleyway aren’t always locked like they should be,’ she said.
‘But other times people will just drive up and throw rubbish over the gates.
‘The council sent three lorries and a load of men to clean it all up a few months back.
‘It looked lovely, but a few days later more rubbish appeared.
‘I’ve found syringes and drug packets but the council won’t remove them.’
Thankfully, Annie, who has fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and bronchiolitis, managed to stop thieves who tried to steal her mobility in the middle of the day.
The street was set upon by yobs who tried to hot-wire Annie Valentine’s mobility scooter
Discarded cans of beer sit in one corner and Annie voicing her concerns led to a rubbish amnesty
Annie says it can be a ‘constant grind’ confronting fly-tippers and verbally abusive ‘druggies’ but she won’t stray from her fearless approach
An alleyway garden project has been proposed, which both Annie and Brian support, and she envisages it becoming an area the whole community can enjoy
It would be a huge change from drug users and discarded underwear littering the street
‘The scooter was chained up outside but they still thought they could nick it,’ she said.
‘They opened it up and tried to hot-wire it, but fortunately my two dogs started barking, which much have scared them away.
‘How low can you go trying to steal someone’s mobility scooter?’
‘It cost me £160 to fix the damage.’
Annie has voiced her concerns about the alleyway to local councillors and council environmental health officers at Brunswick PACT Police and Community Together (PACT) meetings.
This led to a rubbish amnesty, which enabled residents to dispose of three large household items free of charge.
PACT chairman Brian Roberts, 65, said: ‘What’s been going on in the alleyway is a form of anti-social behaviour really.
‘People have dumped all kinds of rubbish. The ongoing problems have also included drug use and low-level crime but the neighbourhood policing team have been marvellous.
‘Annie is a lovely lady and I do feel sorry for her but honestly, she’s a force of nature and she doesn’t give a damn who she confronts.
‘I love her attitude that nothing will get her down and she’s fighting for the community. She’s a great inspiration.’
Annie says it can be a ‘constant grind’ confronting fly-tippers and verbally abusive ‘druggies’ but she won’t stray from her fearless approach.
‘I’m from a small town in Yorkshire, so I’m a right tough woman,’ she said.
‘So I’ll face up to anyone, I really don’t care.’
An alleyway garden project has been proposed, which both Annie and Brian support, and she envisages it becoming an area the whole community can enjoy.
A soiled mattress was even on view when MailOnline reporters visited the street
Half-filled bottles and cans of beers were also spotted piling up
Annie has even helped Lancashire Constabulary make an arrest with her brave stance against anti-social behaviour
‘It could be nice area for children to play in if it wasn’t such a mess,’ she said.
‘All it needs is a few plants and that kind of thing.
‘If people looked after it could be special place everybody could use.’
Other residents are supporting Annie’s attempts to clean up the alleyway.
Student Lingesh Kumar, 19, who is studying at the University of Central Lancashire said: ‘A lot of rubbish does get dumped in alleyway.
‘Sometimes it can take weeks for it to get cleared up. I’m also concerned about people using it to take drugs.’
A mother, who didn’t want to be named said: ‘I’ve seen teenagers being served drugs by dealers and we had to take our dog to the vet because he licked a bong and became really ill and nearly died.
‘The council have tried again and again to tidy up the alleyway but the fly-tippers just come and dump more rubbish. It’s terrible.’
She added: ‘But I don’t want a garden space because people won’t look after it. It would just be a waste of money.’
A Blackpool Council spokesperson, said: ‘Appalling anti-social behaviour that is a complete nuisance and unacceptable will not be tolerated at all. The council’s public and environment protections teams alongside local councillors, the police and community groups work hard to ensure that these issues are tackled.
‘In addition, our waste and environmental company Enveco works tirelessly across the town to help keep the streets and local wards clean.
‘We will continue to do what we can with our partners to deter people from this anti-social behaviour and will seek prosecution whenever we can.’
MailOnline has contacted Lancashire Police for comment.Â
