A couple accused of ruining their neighbourhood in a country village by piling tonnes of junk in their front and back gardens yesterday insisted they were just saving the environment.

Scraps of metal, garden tools, concrete garden ornaments, solar lights, watering cans, vacuum cleaners, an iron, tyres, bikes and a wheelbarrow are just some of the items creating an eyesore.

The clutter stands out from the tidy gardens of other residents in sleepy Monks Eleigh, near Lavenham in Suffolk, which boast neatly trimmed hedges, mown lawns and potted geraniums and are overlooked by a handsome Grade I listed Saxon church.

The mess caused such an uproar that the local council has now issued an enforcement notice for it to be cleared up.

But homeowners Sandra Goodard, 63, and Paul Brooks, 60, defended the chaotic scene, saying it was all to do with their business, ‘waste management company’ Suffolk Recycling.

Residents of Monks Eleigh have complained about the mountains of rubbish in the front and back garden (Pictured) of homeowners Sandra Goodard, 63, and Paul Brooks, 60

However the pair have defend themselves saying the mountains of rubbish were related to their waste management company

Ms Goodard said she was preventing unnecessary use of landfill sites, explaining: ‘Sometimes what you don’t see is worse than what you do see.’

The grandmother-of-five, who collects the items from house clearances, pubs and hotels, added (somewhat at odds with the scene in her garden): ‘We do not run the business from home. We run it from the van.

‘It’s just that we are a bit of a hoarder. We buy stuff and I think we’ll do stuff with it and I do not do it.’

Responding to online sniping about the site, she said: ‘It’s all started getting a bit stupid, what people are saying on social media.

‘One said “They’re obviously hoarders, so I hope the council will give them some help because it’s obviously an illness”.

‘I’m not nutty. They [all the items] all go to car boot sales but quite a lot is mine to keep.

‘I do car boots all over, wherever we are at the time.’

The couple’s Facebook page states: ‘We are a local, family-run business who have been in the business of recycling and reuse for over 30 years.

‘We are truly passionate about finding a new home for your rubbish or items that are no longer of use to you.’

Excited posts include one from April that said: ‘Busy start of the week! We’ve been clearing and recycling for two of our customers in Monks Eleigh.’

Heaps of scraps of metal, garden tools, concrete garden ornaments, solar lights, and other miscellaneous items can be found in the garden 

Despite how the appearance of their green space Ms Goodard, she maintains that their business is not run from home

She also hit out at online users who alleged they were hoarders (Pictured: Their property from an aerial view)

Another, from March, trumpets: ‘It’s that time of year again. Spring equinox has been and we’re ready for your spring clear out.’

The page, which is also full of warnings about avoiding fly-tipping by using reputable rubbish removal firms, has 28 followers and has had 24 ‘likes’ – but no reviews so far.

The van used for the business has stickers on the side that give its name and phone number, whilst proclaiming: ‘Waste clearance. Houses, garages, offices, pubs, shops, hotels restaurants’.

But people living near the pair, who have been in their semi-detached former council house in a road overlooking sweeping fields since 1998, were not impressed.

None wanted to be named but one said: ‘There is just no consideration for anyone. It is just really annoying. It should not be allowed – it is just disgusting.’

Another said: ‘It’s a mess. They’ve been doing it for a long time, ever since I’ve been here.’

The piles of junk – which do appear to have been organised in some semblance of order – were also debated at Monks Eleigh Parish Council, which noted in a March 25 meeting that the ‘accumulation’ had been brought to the attention of Babergh District Council.

The van used for the business has stickers on the side that give its name and phone number (Pictured: Their van parked elsewhere as there is no room on their drive)

MS Goodard and Mr Brooks have been served with a notice and are now clearing the area (Pictured: A sign for Monks Eleigh vilalge)

A district council spokesman said: ‘We have now served a notice on the owners/occupiers requiring the site to be cleared of all items that are not strictly necessary or associated with the ordinary use of the property as a home.

‘If there is no appeal against this, the notice comes into effect on September 26 and they will have three months to comply with it.’

They added: ‘We are committed to maintaining the standard of the environment for our local communities.

‘If there is an untidy property that is detrimental to the local neighbourhood, we will talk to owners or occupiers to advise what action they need to take.’

Ms Goodard confirmed she was not planning to appeal against the enforcement notice, adding: ‘It’s all being sorted at the moment. We’re clearing it.’