A waste collection in Birmingham descended in chaos when residents with waste loaded a bin truck swarming in the midst of continuous strikes by waste collectors, who led to 'rats became the size of cats'.
The truck was besieged by so many people when the piles of decaying waste tried to release in the prosperous Mosely Suburb on Wednesday that a city councilor resorted to call the police.
The police of West Midlands said that two people were arrested this week in connection with the current industrial action, which last Tuesday escalated from a series of one-day walk-outs to a total strike.
A week later, and a mobile collection – a bin truck at a static location that residents whose baking is not collected to deposit their waste – caused what an observer called a 'binmageddon'.
Burgers showed up in cars filled with black bags of waste that they desperately wanted to throw away.
The BBC reported that people were seen who ran through the streets to the car with multiple bags.
Others were seen through the center of the road with their wheel boxes, desperate to unload them.
Cars loaded with waste were seen parked in the neighborhood while the police screamed against people not to dump their waste on the street.
The extraordinary scenes unfolded in the streets of Birmingham when the truck was seen
The truck was besieged by so many people when it tried to remove rotting waste in Mosely to resort to the police
Citizens showed up in cars filled with black bags with waste, they were desperate to throw away
Officers called the collection off early while Tempers flashed and reached the truck capacity.
A resident at Anderon Park Road, Kazia Bi, told MailOnline that piles of waste remained outside property.
'Cars from other areas came up yesterday and the drivers left their waste. It meant that I could not get rid of my own waste, which was last collected fourteen days ago. But I don't blame those drivers for doing what they did, everyone is in the same boat and desperate to get rid of their waste. '
Mrs BI, a 40-year-old customer service employee, said that the recycling waste of the residents is not being collected at all at the moment.
“I didn't put my hand in that (recycling) bin,” she added. “The waste has been there for weeks.”
Like many residents, MS BI has taken bags full of waste and recycling to De Punt. But she said that house residents are limited to just two visits a week.
Another resident, named Hafeeza, told the BBC on Wednesday: 'People who do not pay residents his parking and leave waste outside my house. It was very noisy with people who are honking, it would be no problem if they did it in a decent way, but the people who came here did not like it. '
People were seen through the middle of the road with their wheelie trays or follow the truck in their car to unload their waste
Current strikes of waste collectors have reportedly led rats to become the size of cats
One expert warned that 'rotting food is an absolute banquet' as the rat population of the city rises
The contamination with rats has become so bad that the rodents have been called the squeaking blinkers because they seem to have the city in their grip -just like the Peaky Blinders -gang of the late nineteenth century that inspired the BBC drama series with the same name.
This morning another mobile collection took place in the Bordesley Green Suburb, where it is said that a smell of decaying food hung in the air.
Almost 400 bin employees in Birmingham started indefinite strike action last week as part of a row above jobs and paying. And when MailOnline visited the city to gauge the size of the rat problem, reporters found a dead rodent more than a foot long.
The huge rat was dead for a few days and was spotted near a discarded mop and bucket behind a row of shops in the Sparkbrook district.
While we held up the rodent with a nest picker to measure it, a local walked by and said, “Believe me, that's not a big one. We get them much bigger! '
The Unite Union says that his members are confronted with loning cuts after scrapping the role of waste collection and recycling officer. But the Labor-Runned Birmingham city council says that her offer is 'honest and reasonable'.
The Birmingham city council has said that the 'escalation' of industrial action will mean a greater disruption of the residents, despite an 'honest and reasonable offer' made to unite members.
The Council also disputes the claims of Unite that 150 employees can lose £ 8,000 a year in wages, and insists that plans to restructure the service are a crucial part of the authority's efforts to become financially sustainable.
Out of Harms Way: The rats are so great that they are too much challenge, even for cats
An expert said that the increasing waste and exploding rat population was a 'huge danger to public health' for the inhabitants of Birmingham
The Council staff is represented by Unite Trade Union and say that the dispute could be resolved if the council corresponds to 'paying a decent rate' after cutting back jobs
Streets in the city are covered with waste with food waste, which means that rodents are handed over an 'open invitation' to their houses
In September 2023, the Council effectively declared itself bankrupt after a £ 760 million equal wage account and an £ 80 million too much for an IT project, which activates a restructuring because it tries to save £ 300 million in two years.
Last month the struggling local authority planned plans to lower £ 148 million of its budget for this year – with an ax that is brought to the services for adults and social care and children and families – while the tax accounts of the residents of the municipality will increase by 7.5 percent next month.
Experts for pest control have warned the structure of waste caused by a BIN collection strike is a huge danger to public health.
Grahame Turner, technical manager at the National Pest Technicians Association, said: 'Pests such as rats, mice and even squirrels are looking for easy meals. Rotting food is an absolute banquet for them. '
During the weekend he advised residents to take non -collected waste for a tip where possible, and not to store -collected waste in sealed boxes, bins or similar containers where possible.
He said: 'This is a huge danger to public health, and what we see in Birmingham is incredibly worrying.
“Birmingham is already extremely vulnerable due to earlier strikes and infection levels of rodents that are observed in urban areas.”
He added: 'As soon as rodents arrive to party on your overflowing bins, there is a risk that they will explore other parts of the location, are looking for warmth, shelter and more food.
'Rodents are not just an annoying – they can pose serious health risks for you and your family. Rats and mice are known to transport diseases, such as leptospirosis, Hantavirus and Salmonella, which can contaminate themselves through their droppings, urine and even by food supply.
“They can also cause serious structural damage by chewing by electrical wiring, insulation and even sanitary facilities, creating fire hazards and expensive repairs.”
Unite has warned that the disruption of BIN in the city could extend until the summer after waste workers had voted for expanding their strike mandate on the use of temporary work by the council to 'undermine' their industrial action.
The Council has said that 90 waste collection teams still collect bins, of a total of 200, in which residents are still encouraged to turn off their bins for crews to collect when they could.
It also said that the door is still open to conversations and it would encourage unite to return to the table '.
The police of West Midlands said today: 'We were called after reports from people who dump waste on the road. We continue to maintain with the local authority. “We have the duty to keep people safe and to ensure that the road is clear and safe to use.” Collecting or limiting the collection of waste is considered a risk to public health and safety in the community and a matter of all public agencies including the police. '
In an earlier statement issued on Wednesday, the armed forces said that it worked with partners, including the city council during the industrial action, adding: 'Two people were arrested during this time.
'A man was arrested on Monday for possession of drugs and was referred for drug treatment.
“The second man was arrested on Tuesday for obstruction, he was warned.
“We will continue to attend sites in the city to ensure that there are no infringements of peace and bin trucks to leave or return to sites in a safe and timely way.”
