Fly-tipped waste left on Birmingham street for more than a month.

Residents have been living close to fly-tipped rubbish on a Birmingham street since the beginning of August.

Birmingham City Council was accused of failing to act after locals reported the dumped rubbish on Washwood Heath Road, Saltley.

The waste includes mattresses, fridge freezers, other furniture items and rotting food.

The council did not comment on this particular case but said it aims to clear waste when it is reported.

Resident Rashida Khatun said the waste has attracted vermin.

She said she had reported the rubbish to the council on 7 August and had since called them again.

"I would have expected them to come out that same week," she said. "Obviously that didn't happen."

Ben Godfrey, BBC Midlands Today

Among the mounds of dumped waste are fly and rat-infested mattresses, burnt out fridge freezers, furniture, rotting food and drug paraphernalia.

It's a stench so strong, even a face mask doesn't offer much protection.

The scene is reminiscent of the Birmingham bin strikes of recent years, and some residents have decided to pay private waste disposal businesses rather than wait for the council to act.

This is a criminal offence, but people are still doing it because perhaps they think there is no deterrent.

Ms Khatun said it has left the community feeling "like we're rejects" and was putting local businesses at risk due to customers being put off by the stinking rubbish.

Noor Ahmed, a business owner, said he also reported it to the council and said the rubbish is going to have an effect on the banqueting suite he runs.

"It's completely diabolical," he said.

"We need frequent cleaning and the council to come and do their job," she said.

She also wants cameras installed in the area to deter fly-tippers.

An investigation by the BBC's Shared Data Unit found large-scale fly-tipping has more than doubled in England in the past six years, with organised criminal gangs posing as waste disposal businesses before illegally dumping rubbish.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said the authority receives "hundreds of reports of fly-tipping across the city every week".

"[We] do everything we can to remove as much waste as possible and investigate the circumstances behind rubbish that is dumped."

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