Neighbours say good riddance to bad rubbish hoarded in Central flat

Government cleaners yesterday removed 12 tonnes of rubbish from a private residence in Central after the expiration of a 14-day official notice ordering the landlord to clear out his trash.

Cockroaches and flies spilled out of bin bags as the 35 workers sent by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department packed up used beer cans, stacks of old newspapers, burnt furniture and other assorted rubbish.

The clean-up, which lasted more than nine hours, drew outrage from Tam Man-ip, the landlord and occupant of the 500 sq ft top-floor flat and rooftop in Mee Lun Street.

He expressed indignation at the clearance and said the department had not notified him. "How could they remove my treasured possessions forcibly?" Tam, 51, said. "They simply told me my belongings were stinky and dirty, and so they threw them away - this is theft!"

This was not the first time the department had obtained a court order to allow it to clear out a private property. This move came after months of complaints from district councillors and neighbours about the refuse-choked flat, who claimed they were severely affected by the stench, bugs and insanitary hazards.

Tam, who is single and unemployed, said he used to sell newspapers for a living, but later retained them in his flat "for reading and to wipe things". He had tried to throw some things away before, he said, but was refused by nearby rubbish stations.