Post by Editor on Mar 5, 2013 9:14:52 GMT
Luton, the town where the rats don't even bother to hide anymore: Grim portrait reveals rubbish left to rot in the street and derelict buildings in ruins
Photographs taken in Bedfordshire town show it in state of chaos
Bags of rubbish pictured lying in streets while rats feast on the food within
Car windows smashed after break-ins while blood splattered on streets
Town was previously voted one of the worst places to live in the UK
Luton Borough Council introduced cuts to street cleaning services last year
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 17:19, 4 March 2013 | UPDATED: 07:52, 5 March 2013
It is a town which has struggled with its image for many years.
Previous 'awards' for Luton include being voted the 'dirtiest town in Britain' and the 'worst place to live in the UK'.
And if these pictures are anything to go by, it looks like the town is still struggling to shake off its poor reputation.
Concerned with Luton's image, a local photographer, who did not want to be named, wandered the streets of the Bedfordshire town and took this worrying photographic portrait.
Feeding time: A group of rats pictured near Luton town centre in Bedforshire
Unattractive: Luton has previously been voted as one of the worst places to live in the UK in a poll conducted by Channel 4
Destruction: Broken glass scattered on the ground after a car window was smashed following a break-in close to Luton's town centre
Break-in: A car window after being broken into by thieves
With large groups of rats pictured eating on discarded food, cars left with shattered windows following break-ins by thieves and litter left lying on the streets, it paints a grim picture of the town.
But it seems his concerns about the town may well fall on deaf ears.
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Michael Garrett, the leader of the Conservative group on Luton Borough Council, defended the town and said it does not have a problem with street cleaning and refuse collection.
'Yes, the town has got problems but I cannot agree that it is a dirty mess,' he said. 'I cannot agree with that at all.
What a mess: Bags of overflowing rubbish discarded in the Marsh Farm area of Luton
Wrong award: Luton was voted the dirtiest town in the UK in 2002
'The government has made local government cuts and Luton, as with other places, has had to cope with that.
'In terms of street cleaning, I have not noticed that it has gone downhill. Parts of the town are run down but that is not really a fault of the council. It is doing its best under difficult circumstances.
'I would not say that refuse collection and street cleaning has suffered in any way. With less staff they are still managing to keep the streets tidy. For years Luton has suffered with this bad image but I do not think it deserves it.'
With all councils across the country facing cuts in central government grants, the images reflect the challenges faced by towns across Britain as they struggle not to slide into neglect.
The concerns about rubbish in Luton follow the decision by the borough council to approve cuts to street cleaning services last year.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287978/The-town-rats-run-packs-Shocking-pictures-Luton-hordes-rodents-feeding-rubbish.html#ixzz2MefbDEcD
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Photographs taken in Bedfordshire town show it in state of chaos
Bags of rubbish pictured lying in streets while rats feast on the food within
Car windows smashed after break-ins while blood splattered on streets
Town was previously voted one of the worst places to live in the UK
Luton Borough Council introduced cuts to street cleaning services last year
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 17:19, 4 March 2013 | UPDATED: 07:52, 5 March 2013
It is a town which has struggled with its image for many years.
Previous 'awards' for Luton include being voted the 'dirtiest town in Britain' and the 'worst place to live in the UK'.
And if these pictures are anything to go by, it looks like the town is still struggling to shake off its poor reputation.
Concerned with Luton's image, a local photographer, who did not want to be named, wandered the streets of the Bedfordshire town and took this worrying photographic portrait.
Feeding time: A group of rats pictured near Luton town centre in Bedforshire
Unattractive: Luton has previously been voted as one of the worst places to live in the UK in a poll conducted by Channel 4
Destruction: Broken glass scattered on the ground after a car window was smashed following a break-in close to Luton's town centre
Break-in: A car window after being broken into by thieves
With large groups of rats pictured eating on discarded food, cars left with shattered windows following break-ins by thieves and litter left lying on the streets, it paints a grim picture of the town.
But it seems his concerns about the town may well fall on deaf ears.
More...
Romania boasts of secret deal over UK benefits for migrants as ministers plan ID cards for free NHS care to curb welfare tourism
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Michael Garrett, the leader of the Conservative group on Luton Borough Council, defended the town and said it does not have a problem with street cleaning and refuse collection.
'Yes, the town has got problems but I cannot agree that it is a dirty mess,' he said. 'I cannot agree with that at all.
What a mess: Bags of overflowing rubbish discarded in the Marsh Farm area of Luton
Wrong award: Luton was voted the dirtiest town in the UK in 2002
'The government has made local government cuts and Luton, as with other places, has had to cope with that.
'In terms of street cleaning, I have not noticed that it has gone downhill. Parts of the town are run down but that is not really a fault of the council. It is doing its best under difficult circumstances.
'I would not say that refuse collection and street cleaning has suffered in any way. With less staff they are still managing to keep the streets tidy. For years Luton has suffered with this bad image but I do not think it deserves it.'
With all councils across the country facing cuts in central government grants, the images reflect the challenges faced by towns across Britain as they struggle not to slide into neglect.
The concerns about rubbish in Luton follow the decision by the borough council to approve cuts to street cleaning services last year.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287978/The-town-rats-run-packs-Shocking-pictures-Luton-hordes-rodents-feeding-rubbish.html#ixzz2MefbDEcD
Follow us: @mailonline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
