Footage of rubbish piled up on streets of Birmingham after Omicron depletes refuse collectors

Shocking footage show mountains of uncollected rubbish piled up on the streets of Birmingham after refuse collectors were depleted by the spread of Omicron.

Bins have been left overflowing with trash and household waste remains uncollected due to staff shortages across the city caused by Covid.

Homeowners in Birmingham who have been waiting since before Christmas to have their bins collected were still waiting today (Tue) for their bins to be picked up.

Photographs taken in the Aston and Small Heath areas of the city show festering mounds of bin liners piled up outside properties and dumped on grass verges.

Other images show how people have brazenly fly-tipped other items on residential streets- including mattresses, sofas and Christmas trees.

Teams were drafted in from street cleaning roles in an bid to minimise disruption but several streets were missed out and remain "an absolute eyesore".

Student Pavel Bartos, 23, who lives in Aston, said residents had been waiting since before Christmas to have their bins collected.

He added: "It's been a nightmare and the place has been left looking like a complete tip and is surely a health hazard.

"It is an absolute eyesore and we thought they would be collected by now, but they haven't. It's like living in a slum.

"We were told the Christmas collections would be missed due to staff shortages but to be four days into the New Year and is still look like this is really bad.

"It always seems to be bin problems in Birmingham. The place just looks a dump. I know Covid is hitting a lot of people but they should have back-up plans in place.

"We're due to hold the Commonwealth Games this year a mile down the road - this just makes us look a joke.

"If they can't even keep up with bin collections how are we going to host a massive international sporting event? They can't even organise their bin men."

Birmingham councillor John O'Shea, who represents Acocks Green, said last week: "The service has been badly affected by Covid absence this week and a number of rounds have had to be dropped as a result across the city.

"We have had staff volunteer to come in on Sunday, January 2 to try to clear as many outstanding rounds as possible.

"Like other services and functions across the country, our people are being hit with Covid infections and isolation.

"We have again taken crews from the street cleansing role to support refuse collection, but this is not enough cover."

A Local Government Association spokesperson added: "As cases of COVID-19 rise in light of the Omicron variant, councils are concerned that these existing staffing issues may get worse."

MFL - UPDATED COUNCIL STATEMENT