Portsmouth runners vow to fight back against Pigeon House Lane fly-tipping near Portsmouth

Pigeon House Lane has become a hot-spot for fly-tipping, with rubbish being thrown out of car windows and waste discarded in the street.

On December 29, one runner found tyres, plasterboard and even a toilet dumped in the road.

Now, one woman has arranged a clean-up of the area, which will be tied into a five-mile run this Saturday.

Claire Fleming, 48, has been running since 2011 and says the area is worse now than ever before.

‘There is litter all over Purbrook now,’ she said.

‘People are leaving their waste everywhere, from plastic bottles to takeaway rubbish – it’s a significant amount and when you’re running it’s all you can see for miles.

‘I think the problem lies in rising costs at the rubbish tip; people don’t want to pay so they dump stuff out in the countryside instead.’

On Saturday, January 11, runners will be armed with rubbish bags along what’s commonly known as the Ladies Purbrook Five route – all choosing a mile to clear up.

Bags will be left at the end of each mile and collected at the end of the event.

‘We hear a lot about beach cleans but we need to start targeting the countryside too,’ Claire said.

‘Running here makes you so much more conscious of just how much waste is being left by the roadside.

‘Gloves and bags will be provided to every runner, and we’ll collect all the bags for proper disposal at the end.’

Claire, a co-director of running events firm On The Whistle, was inspired to organise the run after going for a jog at the end of last year.

She says she was ‘shocked’ to see just how much rubbish had piled up.

‘It’s so sad because this is meant to be a beautiful route,’ she said.

‘But it’s been trashed by litter and something has to be done.’

Anyone interested in helping out can meet the runners by the tennis courts in Purbrook Heath Road at 11am on Saturday.