Rotting rubbish left uncollected in store

This is the rotting pile of rubbish that was left uncollected in a West Bromwich flats bin store.

Father-of-one Lee Dangerfield now claims his block has being forgotten about after claiming stinking rubbish was allowed to mount up for weeks.

However, Sandwell Council promised to tackle the issue and said access to the block could be the cause of the problem.

Mr Dangerfield claimed some rubbish had not been collected for seven weeks and he added Sandwell Homes has also failed to address a wasp nest which has been plaguing residents in the two rise block of flats on Bennits Close.

The 35-year-old, who has lived in the block for seven years, said: "I and the other residents have repeatedly contacted Sandwell Homes and the council about the bin store, but nothing has been done. It is just piled high, and disgusting and it stinks."

Worried

He added: "We are also really worried about the wasps nest which is in a cupboard on the second floor, above the bin store. I didn't even know there was a cupboard there until the wasps started flying from it.

"One of my neighbours dog's has already been stung by the wasps. Children play out here, and could easily be stung. If they swarm it could be really horrible."

The builder who says his 12-year-old daughter comes and stays with him twice a week said: "We just feel we are being forgotten about and ignored. If it carries on like this I think I will have to move out."

Neighbourhoods boss Councillor Ian Jones said the council had only been contacted twice about the issue.

The first was on August 6 which was dealt with the following day. The second was on August 29, to which the council said they would be clearing up on Friday.

He said: "We will investigate the claims that have been made and the bin cupboard will emptied.

"It could be that the problem is being caused by a difficulty in the crews gaining access to the bin cupboard for a variety of reasons which we will look into."

Last week it was revealed hundreds of bin collections were missed in Oldbury in three months alone, with an average of 333 reported between April and July this year.