Bin strikes spark chaos in Birmingham: Moment determined residents swarm a bin lorry in bid to dump their rotting waste in metropolis affected by ‘rats the dimensions of cats’
A rubbish collection in Birmingham descended into chaos as rubbish-laden residents swarmed a bin lorry amid ongoing strikes by refuse collectors, which have reportedly led to rats becoming the size of cats.
The lorry was besieged by so many people as it attempted to clear piles of rotting waste in the affluent Mosely suburb on Wednesday that a local councillor resorted to calling police.
West Midlands Police said two people have been arrested this week in connection to the ongoing industrial action, which escalated from a series of one-day walk outs to an all-out strike last Tuesday.
A week on, and a mobile collection – a bin lorry in a static location allowing residents whose bins aren’t being collected to drop their rubbish off – triggered what one observer called a ‘binmageddon’.
Citizens turned up in cars filled with black bags of rubbish which they were desperate to dispose of.
The BBC reported that people were seen rushing down the streets to the wagon carrying multiple bags.
Others were seen running down the middle of the road with their wheelie bins, desperate to unload them.
Cars loaded with rubbish were seen parked in the neighbourhood as police yelled at people not to dump their rubbish in the street.
The extraordinary scenes unfolded on the streets of Birmingham when the lorry was spotted
The lorry was besieged by so many people as it attempted to clear rotting waste in Mosely that a local councillor resorted to calling police
Citizens turned up in cars filled with black bags of rubbish they were desperate to dispose of
Officers called the collection off early as tempers flared and the lorry reached capacity.
One resident on Anderton Park Road, Kazia Bi, told MailOnline that piles of rubbish remained outside properties along her road.
‘Cars from other areas turned up yesterday and the drivers were dropping off their rubbish. It meant I couldn’t get rid of my own refuse, which was last collected a fortnight ago. But I don’t blame those drivers for doing what they did, everybody is in the same boat and desperate to get rid of their waste.’
Ms Bi, a 40-year-old customer services associate, said residents’ recycling waste is not being collected at all at the moment.
‘I daren’t put my hand in that (recycling) bin’, she added. ‘The rubbish has been in there for weeks.’
Like many residents, Ms Bi has been taking bags full of refuse and recycling to the tip. But she said householders are restricted to only two visits a week.
Another resident, called Hafeeza, told the BBC on Wednesday: ‘People who aren’t residents are parking up and leaving rubbish outside of my house. It was very noisy with people honking, it wouldn’t be a problem if they were doing it in a decent way but the people who came here didn’t care.’
Ongoing strikes by refuse collectors have reportedly led to rats becoming the size of cats
The rat infestation has become so bad the rodents have been dubbed the Squeaky Blinders because they appear to have the city in their grip – much like the Peaky Blinders gang of the late nineteenth century which inspired the BBC drama series of the same name.
This morning, another mobile collection was taking place in the Bordesley Green suburb, where a stench of rotting food was said to be hanging in the air.
Nearly 400 council bin workers in Birmingham began indefinite strike action last week as part of a row over jobs and pay. And when MailOnline visited the city to gauge the extent of the rat problem, reporters found one dead rodent more than a foot long.
The huge rat had been dead for a few days and was spotted lying near a discarded mop and bucket behind a row of shops in the Sparkbrook neighbourhood.
As we held up the rodent with a litter picker to measure it, a local walked past and said: ‘Trust me, that’s not a big one. We get them much bigger!’
The Unite union says its members face pay cuts after the scrapping of waste collection and recycling officer roles. But Labour-run Birmingham City Council says its offer is ‘fair and reasonable’.
Birmingham City Council has said the ‘escalation’ of industrial action will mean greater disruption to residents despite a ‘fair and reasonable offer’ made to Unite members.
The council also disputes Unite’s claims that 150 workers could lose £8,000 per year in pay, and insists plans to restructure the service are a crucial part of the authority’s efforts to become financially sustainable.
In September 2023 the council effectively declared itself bankrupt after facing a £760m equal pay bill and an £80m overspend on an IT project, triggering a restructuring as it attempts to save £300m over two years.
Last month the struggling local authority outlined plans to cut £148 million from its budget for this year – with an axe being taken to adult and social care and children and families services – while residents’ council tax bills will rise by 7.5 per cent next month.
Pest control experts have warned the build-up of refuse caused by a bin collection strike poses a huge public health danger.
Grahame Turner, technical manager at the National Pest Technicians Association, said: ‘Pests like rats, mice and even squirrels are on the lookout for easy meals. Rotting food is an absolute banquet to them.’
Speaking at the weekend, he advised residents to take uncollected waste to a tip themselves where possible, and to store uncollected rubbish in sealed boxes, bins or similar containers where possible.
He said: ‘This is a huge public health danger, and what we’re seeing in Birmingham is incredibly concerning.
‘Birmingham is already extremely vulnerable due to previous strikes and infestation levels of rodents that are observed within urban areas.’
He added: ‘Once rodents arrive to feast on your overflowing bins, there is a risk that they will explore other parts of the location, seeking warmth, shelter, and more food.
‘Rodents aren’t just a nuisance – they can pose serious health risks to you and your family. Rats and mice are known to carry diseases such as leptospirosis, hantavirus, and salmonella, which can spread through their droppings, urine, and even by contaminating food supplies.
‘They can also cause serious structural damage by chewing through electrical wiring, insulation and even plumbing, creating fire hazards and costly repairs.’
Unite has warned bin disruption in the city could stretch into the summer after refuse workers voted in favour of extending their strike mandate over the council’s use of temporary labour to ‘undermine’ their industrial action.
The council has said 90 waste collection crews are still out collecting bins, out of a total of 200, with residents being urged still to put their bins out for crews to collect when they could.
It has also said the door is still open to talks and it ‘would encourage Unite to come back to the table’.
West Midlands Police said today: ‘We were called following reports of people dumping rubbish in the road. We continue to liaise with the local authority.’We have a duty to keep people safe and ensure the road is clear and safe to use.’Stopping or restricting the collection of waste is considered a risk for public health and safety in the community and a matter for all public agencies including policing.’
In an earlier statement issued on Wednesday, the force said it had been working alongside partners including the city council during the industrial action, adding: ‘In this time, two people have been arrested.
‘One man was arrested for drugs possession on Monday and has been referred for drug treatment.
‘The second man was arrested on Tuesday for obstruction, he was cautioned.
‘We will continue to attend sites across the city to ensure there are no breaches of the peace and bin lorries are able to leave or return to sites in a safe and timely manner.’
