An official complaint has been lodged against Bradford Council for failing to clear away a pile of rubbish at the side of a narrow road - for five years.

Robert Hughes, a retired educationalist, travels from his home in Manor Gardens, Cullingworth, along Black Dyke Lane at least twice a day.

He claims that for years, a heap of tyres, wood, trailer parts and other junk by a roadside house has created not just an eyesore but a driving hazard.

Mr Hughes, 69, said that after making repeated calls to the Council about the problem, he finally wrote and received a reply from the planning department last July.

He has kept the letter, which stated that the authority was aware of the issue and would be taking action against the "perpetrator".

But nine months later he said the pile was still there.

"I've now got in touch with the ombudsman because I feel so strongly about it," he said. "I have occasion to use that road twice a day and I just find it annoying.

"I've noticed this for years and it's built up from a mild irritation to a real issue. It's not just the aesthetics - when the sun's low in the winter getting along that road is extremely hazardous with all that stuff sticking out."

The Ombudsman, Patricia Thomas, will now consider the complaint and decide if it merits a formal investigation.

Her spokesman explained: "The first thing we have to do is decide whether or not the complaint is within our jurisdiction, then check whether the complainant has actually first given the council a chance to put the matter right.

"If those conditions are satisfied we would have to investigate to see if the Council was at fault and what effect, if any, the problem has had on the complainant. Generally it has to have caused a significant injustice to the person involved before we would judge it worthy of an investigation."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "We have not yet received anything from the ombudsman but will respond as soon as we receive notification."

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