AIBU to report my neighbours?

[Susiesheeep]

My next door neighbour has 3 large dogs which obviously got to the toilet in the garden. The problem is that they don't clean up after them for weeks at a time. Even when they do, they only pick the poo up and don't actually wash the patio.

The smell is unbearable and I'm unable to use my garden because of this. The biggest problem though is the flies. I can not open my kitchen door or window without swarms of flies coming in. I can not leave the babies food out to cool down because there will be a fly on it within seconds.

If I'm not being unreasonable, who would I even report it to? Environmental health? The council?

If they are council tenants, the housing or antisocial behaviour team should be able to write them a letter instructing them to clean up.

Otherwise, EH. However, EH have limited authority to dictate what a private individual does in their own property; they have even more limited resources for tackling non-major issues. You would need to make a stronger public health case than not liking the smell in summer.

Have you spoken with your neighbour about it? Are they elderly / unable to collect poo very often?

Get onto the council's website, they should have a section that tells you how to report nuisance neighbours. Leaving dog shit around to the extent the place is swarming with flies is clearly a health hazard so they should look into it. Ideally you need photographic or video evidence to back up your story.

Be prepared to need to be persistent, they tend not to care at first. Also, have you tried to solve the problem by talking to the neighbour and telling them how disgusting they are? The council are more likely to get involved if you've tried to amicably resolve the issue yourself and been rejected.

I have not spoken to them about it. They arent the friendliest of neighbours and don't say hello when we see them in the street.

They aren't elderly or disabled. They are early 30's. The worst thing is the children are always in the garden so they know how bad it is.

I had builders around today doing work on my kitchen and they even commented on it