Rats the dimensions of rabbits stalk the streets as bin strike passes one yr
Union members have been on all-out strike for a year in protest at plans to reform the city’s bin collection service and now rats are taking over
Rats like rabbits are stalking Birmingham streets(Image: Jeremy Selwyn)
Rats as big as rabbits are terrorising residents as bins overflow after strikes hit a year.
The giant rodents are stalking the streets of Birmingham, leaving locals on high alert for the beasts, 12 months after bin workers staged an all-out strike in protests over pay and working conditions. Britain’s second largest city has been described as a ‘slum’ and ‘as bad as Victorian Britain’ as it continues to wade through rubbish as a result of one of the longest-running industrial disputes of modern times.
Union members have been on all-out strike for a year in protest at plans to reform the city’s bin collection service. As well as giant cat-like rats, the streets are also lined with manky food, fly-tipping, dumped rubbish, bin bags and litter.
Locals have said it is a ‘living hell’ and have called on the union and the council to end the strikes, which are making their lives ‘unbearable’.
One mum said: “It’s a hellhole. It’s a living hell. The rats are the size of rabbits. It’s not safe for our children. We feel under attack. It’s horrific. I hate it. I’d move if I could but we’re on a waiting list for another council house but nothing is being done.
“It’s like living in a slum. It’s Victorian Britain but in 2026.”
Local Kath Simpson, 34, said she had been regularly ‘physically sick’ because of the rats and the rubbish. She said: “Trying to raise a family around here is dreadful. I cannot stand it.
“When will this end? My children are just used to seeing rats. They’re massive. It’s dangerous.
‘It feels like a never-ending cycle though. I cannot see how this will end.’
With no end in sight for the strike, the dispute has dragged on with scenes of chaos after bin bags piled up on the streets.
This week, union Unite announced they would cut the fee it pays to Labour by nearly £600,000 over the party’s handling of the Birmingham bin strike.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said it showed workers were asking if Labour was on their side and were ‘coming to the end of the line’ with the party.
Union members blame the Labour council for refusing to meet their demands as they claim the reforms will lead to lower pay.
The Birmingham bin strike started a year ago and has become one of the most intractable disputes of modern times.
Birmingham City Council said it would start a new waste collection regime in the summer, including a reinstated recycling service, even if strike action continued.
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