A DISGRUNTLED resident at a Hereford block of flats has issued a plea for help over rubbish piling up outside their building.

Leaseholder Rosy Breeze of Dartmouth Court, Tupsley, says she no longer knows where to turn to deal with the recurring problem of excess bin bags being left in the communal bin area.

Rosy, who alongside a neighbour spends several hours a week cleaning and bleaching the area to reduce the risk of vermin, said the problem has been ongoing for some time, as refuse collectors won't take away bags which are not placed in bins.

She initially attempted to deal with the problem herself, by taking the excess bags left in the area to the tip.

But Rosy says she was banned from the county's household waste and recycling centres after staff looked through the bags and found she was disposing of waste from other households.

After complaining to the council previously, Rosy says the residents were all issued with individual bins, rather than communal bins, but that this has not remedied the problem.

"We spend a fortune on bleach to keep the place clean, and I sweep and pick up abandoned rubbish every week. There are children here, and it's dangerous to leave it lying around," Rosy said.

"But now the council have sent people around to look in the bins and are sending fines to those of us who are trying to clean the place up."

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said: “Each flat at this block has their own general rubbish bin and separate recycling bin allocated to them and it is the responsibility of residents to ensure they are using the bins correctly.

“Herefordshire Council wrote to all residents in February of this year reminding them not to leave extra sacks of rubbish on top of, or next to, the bins.

"We also provided direction for where to find more information on how to reduce waste, a reminder of all items that can be recycled and outlined that any additional waste must be taken by the householder to the household recycling centre.”