A father was “disgusted” after seeing rats scurrying among piles of rubbish dumped behind shops serving food.

Terry O’Grady, of Christchurch Gardens, Wealdstone, is calling on Harrow Council to introduce a bylaw that ensures business owners are responsible for clearing rubbish left on privately-owned land.

The retired 65-year-old is “fed up” of walking past mattresses and other refuse fly-tipped behind High Street, Wealdstone, which has been left there for weeks.

Mr O’Grady believes this is a health risk as there are a number of supermarkets and restaurants along the high street and he has spotted rats among the rubbish.

He said: “It is disgraceful. I can appreciate the council distancing themselves from rubbish dumped on private land, but how do the rats differentiate which is privately or public owned?

“People do their food shopping in the high street but do they know about the piles of rubbish behind the shops that have been there for weeks?

“I’ve seen one mattress lying on the ground for a month, which could also be a fire risk. Soon we will need the Pied Piper to get the rats out.”

Mr O’Grady, who has lived in the borough for 27 years with his wife and 28-year-old daughter, believes fly-tipping is making Harrow a “less desirable” place to live.

He said: “It used to be a really nice area to come to, but now I think the borough is going downhill with all this rubbish.

“I worry for my children and the younger generations, as the rubbish issue gets worse every year. I would like the council to do something quickly.”

Cllr Graham Henson, Harrow Council portfolio holder for environment, crime and community safety, said measures were being taken to tackle the issue of fly-tipping.

He said: “We hate fly-tipping as much as our residents - it’s not just disgusting, it’s also criminal.

“We are investing more cash and resources into making Harrow clean – developing new ways to report fly-tips and clearing fly-tips on our own land within 24 hours of them being reported to us.

“We even have a night-time fly tip crew, working round the clock to sweep while you sleep, and we’ve slashed the price on our large item removal service – making it easier and cheaper.”

Mr Henson added if rats are spotted, then the council’s environmental health team should be contacted immediately.

He said: “Fly tips on private land are a national problem – they’re a bane of residents’ lives up and down the country.

“It’s not the council’s responsibility to clear the land, but we are constantly looking at new ways of tackling the issue.

“If you see rats or are worried that dumped rubbish poses a health risk, please report it to our environmental health team.”