Mountains of rubbish pile high outside family homes after weeks of lockdown as council and housing association argue over whose job it is to remove the overflowing bin bags
- Parents with young children are livid by the mess – which has blighted Coventry
- Sacks with dirty nappies, shoes, empty cartons and scraps are among the litter
- Vermin, such as huge rats and maggots, have been spotted scurrying out of bags
- Coventry City Council and Citizen Housing are arguing over who should clear up
Mountains of rubbish have been piled high outside family homes after weeks of lockdown as a council and housing association argue over who should clean it up.
Parents with young children are furious at the mess, which has blighted the Willenhall area of Coventry, West Midlands.
Bags, overflowing with dirty nappies, old shoes, empty cartons and scraps, are pictured piling up on the road, having not been collected for at least three weeks.
Vermin, including large rats and maggots, have been spotted scurrying in and out the rubbish causing residents to want to leave the area.
Pharmacy adviser Nicola Good, 42, who lives on the estate, said: ‘This is not a new problem – this has been going on for more than six months.
Parents with young children are furious at the mess (pictured), which has blighted the Willenhall area of Coventry, West Midlands
Bags, overflowing with dirty nappies, old shoes, empty cartons and scraps, are pictured piling up on the road, having not been collected for at least three weeks
‘I have spent a fortune on renovating this house and can’t even have the windows open because the smell is overwhelming.
‘I’ve witnessed the communal bin lorries going up the streets today but that rubbish has been sitting there since March.
They are overflowing and I want it all gone and disinfected. As a resident, I am embarrassed and ashamed of where I live – I dread having visitors’.
Another mother called Emily said: ‘They’re disgusting. They’ve been there for about three weeks now.
‘There are flies and maggots outside my flat. I had to wash them away with bleach the other day. It is disgusting.’
A new campaign called Don’t Trash Our Future has been set up by InYourArea asking for higher penalties from the council for dropping litter and more local clean ups.
Vermin, including large rats and maggots, have been spotted scurrying in and out the rubbish causing residents to want to leave the area
Pharmacy adviser Nicola Good, 42, who lives on the estate, said: ‘This is not a new problem – this has been going on for more than six months’
A spokesman for Coventry City Council said: ‘The bins are on land owned by Citizen Housing and we are working with them to try and resolve this.’
Citizen Housing are planning to meet with the council later this week to discuss how they are going to tackle the problem.
A spokesman for the housing association said: ‘During lockdown disposing of household waste has become an increasing challenge in our communities.
‘We are working closely with Coventry City Council to clear the overspill of rubbish so that the bins can be emptied.
‘We have written to our customers in the area to highlight the issue and our plans to try to resolve it and we are meeting with Coventry City Council later this week to discuss how we tackle the issue in the long-term.’