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Leeds bin strike: Families at breaking point as rats and maggots flourish
DAD-of-one Barry White has to deal with plenty of dirty nappies – but his bins haven't been emptied since the start of the strike.
The 37-year-old, who lives with his wife Vanessa, 34, and 15-month-old son Jamie, hasn't had a bin collection for more than six weeks.
Mr White hit out at the council after hearing friends in other areas had received more than one service during the strike.
He reached breaking point when he saw a rat "standing guard" over bins near his home on Bradford Road, Stanningley.
He said: "Jamie goes through a lot of nappies. It's not particularly pleasant and the rubbish is stacked up. In five years, I have never seen a rat in this area. It's one of the main routes into Leeds and it doesn't give the best impression.
"This is not a healthy place to be at the moment and it's fairly worrying from a parent's point of view."
Mr White said his wife received a "standard response" after sending a complaint to council leader Richard Brett.
The couple put their bins out on the usual day – but private contractors failed to visit.
"I've spoken to the neighbours and we feel we've got to do something. We're law-abiding citizens and we pay council tax like everyone else. We don't want special treatment but why are we not having collections when so many other people are?
"Refusing to pay council tax is something we are definitely considering. Why should we pay for a service we're not getting?"
Pensioner Yvette Massey, 78, is registered disabled and hasn't had her rubbish collected since the strike started.
Mrs Massey, who suffers from arthritis, tried to tidy up the bags in her yard on Norman Terrace, Roundhay, only to find maggots.
She said: "There were hundreds of them and the smell was disgusting. So I just dropped the bags because I didn't like it. I've called the council six times and every time, they've just said they'll pass it on. It's not on really. It's a very serious situation."
Simon Morgan, of Norster View, Beeston, also said the bins down his street had not been emptied since the strike began. He added: "The bins yards are full of rubbish which has spilled over the bins themselves.
"The whole street is a mess. The fear is that rats will settle in feeding off the rubbish and there's maggots everywhere.
"You hear of other areas in Leeds having their bins emptied but we've just been ignored."
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
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