Hundreds of neighbours in Reading have called for action to be taken to sort out the heaps of rubbish and overflowing bins opposite a school in the town.

The overflowing bins and littering has become an ongoing issue along the shopping area in Wokingham Road opposite Alfred Sutton Primary School.

The road is home to a dozen eateries and a number of off licence convenience stores.

Overflowing bins have become a common site along the row of shops, with neighbours calling for the council to acknowledge the issue and keep pressure on shops to manage their waste effectively.

The call to action was made in a petition that was recently been presented to Reading Borough Council’s policy committee.

Sarah Magon, who started the petition, argued the waste opposite Alfred Sutton Primary School has gotten “pretty out of control” and “chaotic.”

While she has noticed  a level of improvement recently, she said it is still an issue the council “really needs to keep on top of.”

Presenting the petition, she said: “We have 247 signatures on our petition which shows there is a strength of feeling in the area.”

The petition was received by the policy committee on Monday, March 13.

Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey), lead councillor for environmental services, responded by saying that the council is aware of the issue, and has visited all the businesses in the area in the Winter to remind them of their duties.

She went on to say some of the businesses have been issued with fines to punish bad practice.

Cllr Rowland explained: “Each business was given time to provide evidence of their waste arrangements, to satisfy legislative requirements.

“As a result of inaction by some of these shops, seven business owners were issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), requiring a response prior to February 17.

“One of the businesses paid their FPN but have to date failed to provide the required evidence of appropriate waste arrangements and therefore remain subject to escalating Enforcement action.

“The other six businesses have been referred to the Council’s Legal Services Team to progress further prosecution action.”

Cllr Rowland added that the Wokingham Road shopping area is being inspected by council officers  twice per week.

Furthermore, the council has put stickers on bins as a deterrent to those who litter.

Ms Magon also said that the waste from the flats above the shops is adding to issue.

In an effort to tackle that, information on correct waste disposal has been provided to occupants, including in multiple foreign languages such as  Romanian, Polish and Nepalese, to ensure residents are aware of waste disposal procedures.

Cllr Rowland concluded by saying that overflowing bins do not only affect this area, but also along the Oxford Road and other retail areas.