Bin strikes: The people using baths and hiring skips to store rubbish

Edinburgh residents have told how they have hired skips and even used bathtubs to store rubbish, as waste piles up during the city bin strike.

Flat owners have been told to hold onto their rubbish rather than add bags to overflowing communal bins.

Some have come up with unique ways to cope with the waste in their homes.

The walk-out by refuse workers over pay is now into its second week in the capital, and has now spread to 20 other council areas.

Helen Sikora, 87, who lives in the Old Town in Edinburgh, told BBC Scotland she had been keeping her rubbish in her bath.

She said: "I came up with the idea myself as it is the safest place to put rubbish. If it leaks then it's easy to clean my bath.

"I use the local health club every day to go swimming, so I don't need to use my shower.

"It's absolutely disgusting going out shopping just now and seeing the rubbish all over the pavements, it's just dreadful.

"I don't accumulate a lot of rubbish but I've had this in my bath now for six days. It's going to be a health hazard soon."

Neil Dishington, 38, who lives in the Polwarth area, said he had hired a £200-a-week skip for his rubbish.

He said: "I rent out my spare room to Airbnb guests during the festival so I generate a lot of waste and recycling.

"The issue we have here is the large street bins are full and overflowing so we have no option but to hold onto our rubbish."

The builder said he could not have piles of rubbish in his house when he has guests.

"I've hired an extra skip on one of my sites in West Lothian to store my rubbish.

"I would have in excess of 20 bags of rubbish in my house now if I had not done this. Currently I have six bags of rubbish."

He said he rents out his home to tourists as he likes "championing" the city and showing what it has to offer.

He said: "The last handful of guests I've had have commented on the mess of the streets and all the rubbish."

Julie, 46, from Blackford, said cardboard from deliveries was mounting up in her house.

She said: "The street communal recycling bin is full as is my own one, so now it's piling up inside my kitchen.

"I'm starting to get concerned about the build-up of rubbish.

"I also live beside a busy bus stop and the bin is now full so I've been wondering if I should maybe put the litter into my house because I don't want it all over the street like it is in the city centre.

"I was really shocked when I went into the city at the weekend and saw the mess.

"I don't blame the cleansing staff so we all have to do our bit."

William Cavendish, who lives in Cockburn Street, said he could now smell the stench from the rotting rubbish from his third-floor flat.

The 42-year-old said: "We are keeping our rubbish indoors because our street bins are overflowing, it's horrific.

"I have piles and piles of recycling but also rubbish now which I'm concerned will attract rats and mice.

"We live in traditional tenements so we already get mice but holding rubbish in our flats is going to make things worse.

"My friend saw seagulls having a gourmet breakfast of rats, they were literally plucking live rats off the rubbish and eating them the other day.

"We are double bagging our rubbish and keeping it inside.

"We need to urgently know what the council's plans are for the clear-up once the strike is over, because there is rubbish everywhere and it's going to take a monster effort to clean it all up."