Sunderland streets and underpasses left strewn with tree trunks and pieces of furniture

Outraged members of the public have spoken of their anger after areas including Southwick and Eden Vale in Sunderland because plagued with litter and fly-tipping problems in recent weeks.

It comes as we continue our Clean Streets campaign, aimed at making Sunderland a cleaner and tidier place for residents to live in.

Sunderland City Council has also highlighted a number of cases where dumpers and litterbugs have been hit with fines.

But there are those who still haven’t learned.

One reader got in touch after seeing an underpass in Southwick become strewn with garbage.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw it,” said the man.

“It seems to be getting worse every day.

“It’s not just rubbish like cans, bottles and food wrappers but bits of trees are being left there too.

“Two or three years the area was given Lottery-funding to improve things, but it’s just gone back to being a mess because of selfish people leaving their mess all over the place.

“It’s not just younger kids doing it but older teenagers as well, who should know better.”

It is not the only place to suffer according to readers.

One woman living in Eden Vale, between Durham Road and Chester Road in the city, has been disgusted after the Wearhead Drive area became a haven for rubbish and even bits of furniture to be dumped, as our pictures show.

“People are just choosing to dump these things in a place close to people’s house,” said the woman.

“We have to walk around this area and it looks terrible.”

Our Clean Streets campaign is calling on Wearsiders to take more care of their personal waste and dispose of rubbish in bins or the nearest tip.

The outcome will mean a cleaner, more welcoming space for us all to work, live and socialise in.

Anyone who sees items they think have been fly-tipped can contact Sunderland City Council to arrange their removal either by going online to sunderland.gov.uk or calling 0191 520 5550.