Dundee City Council is prepared to take legal action against residents who are leaving unwanted furniture and other combustible materials on common landings, housing convener George Regan warned today. 

Following yet another fire in a tenement block at the weekend involving dumped furniture, Mr. Regan said persistent offenders could be taken to the court and evicted from their properties 

“The council has previously indicated there is no need for anyone to leave anything that might pose a fire risk within the common areas of buildings,” Mr. Regan told the Evening Telegraph. “For example, there are organizations that will take away furniture that can be re-used, and the city council will, for a small charge, uplift bulky items for disposal 

“Even the best-intentioned tenant can cause problems for everyone within a building by their actions. This is a serious issue and the last thing anyone should do is leave items lying around that could be set fire to.

“If there was persistent action by a tenant putting lives at risk then the council can take legal action that could lead to loss of tenancy.”

“It is only a matter of time before there are more fire fatalities and injuries occurring as a result of this neglect. Occupiers can play their part and prevent this from happening,” he said. 

“If residents identify a potential fire hazard in their close, stairwell, landing or surrounding area they should contact Tayside Fire and Rescue and we will try to ensure the relevant agency is contacted to attend and deal with the problem.”