People living in part of King's Lynn are being reminded of their responsibility to dispose of their waste properly.

Officials say they North End residents need to put their rubbish out on the right day in front of their homes, as refuse collectors won't clear alleyways between properties.

Ian Devereux, West Norfolk council's cabinet member for environment, said: 'Historically there has been an issue with people leaving their rubbish in the alleyways and with flytipping in the area.

'Some months ago, we asked residents to place their rubbish bags at the front of their property for collection instead of in the rear alleyways, in line with the collection arrangements in the rest of the borough. This change in regime did not stop the flytipping in the area, so we then carried out door-to-door visits and provided information to residents, which helped reduce the problem.

'Any residual waste in the alleys was cleared by the clean-up team as a temporary measure while people got used to the new arrangements. Now the time has come for residents to take responsibility for the waste they create. To ensure people understand what is required, we have produced an information pack and carried out further door-to-door visits. We have also explained that waste will no longer be cleared from the alleyways, and that if necessary, we will prosecute cases of fly-tipping.'

The information pack also contains 'No fly-tipping' signs that people can put up at the rear of their property and guidance on how to report fly-tipping.

The council acknowledges that the vast majority of people do dispose of their waste appropriately, but with a high-turnover of residents in rented accommodation in the area, it is often difficult to ensure that everyone gets the message.

It said it was hoping to work with landlords and lettings agents to make sure they pass the message on to new tenants. It will also be making sure that landlords and letting agents are aware of their own responsibilities when they are clearing a property ready.

Mr Devereux said: 'Many landlords and lettings agents don't realise that when they are clearing a property for a new let, the rubbish they remove is classed as trade waste, not domestic waste and must be disposed of accordingly.'