Birmingham bin strikes: Woman suspects infection was caused by rats entering her home

Bins are piled up four feet high outside Diana Gheorghe's home in Balsall Heath.

A woman from Balsall Heath has told ITV News Central she is taking antibiotics to treat an infection she thinks may have been caused by rats entering her home during the bin strikes.

Diana Gheorghe told ITV News Social Affairs Correspondent Lucy Kapasi that rodents have been attracted to the rubbish piling up on the city's streets and entered her house.

She said: "My tongue, I think I touched something, and on my tongue, there was a very bad spot."

"We aren't happy with this", she added.

Birmingham's bin workers, who are members of the Unite union, have been on strike since 11 March. Since then, Birmingham City Council said that 17,000 tonnes of rubbish had built up on the city's streets.

The council declared a major incident over concerns of risk to public health and the environment on 31 March.

Since then, medical experts in the city have also expressed concern over the health impacts of the strikes, including Dr Ibrahim Mutlib.

  • Ibrahim Mutlib is a doctor in the city and he says rotting food on the city's streets could also be contributing to respiratory diseases.

"As food rots it can increase the levels of mould in the area and mould in the air.

"That can trigger things such as asthma, but also other chemicals such as ammonia and methane that are released when rotting fruit can cause other respiratory diseases become worse as well.

"I think, firstly, trying not to stockpile all the rubbish in one area. And if you are going to handle it make sure you wear protective equipment such as gloves, masks and ideally goggles.

"But try not to walk in the street in areas where there are stockpiles of rubbish, especially if they've been there for weeks as well."

Members of the Bahu Trust Mosque have been working to clean up their community. Credit: ITV News Central

For the last three days, Unite, which represents the bin workers, and Birmingham City Council have been in "productive" talks aimed at ending the deadlock.

A Unite spokesperson told ITV News Central: “Unite is continuing to engage in intensive talks with the council on behalf of our members in the refuse service.

"No resolution has yet been reached, but Unite has put forward a range of fair and reasonable solutions based on KC advice that knocks down the council’s equal pay argument.”

Birmingham City Council described the ongoing talks with the union as "productive."

"But there are still a number of issues to resolve", a spokesperson said.

"Further meetings are planned throughout the course of this week, and we look forward to continuing with negotiations."

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