'Rats the size of dogs' outside rubbish-hit homes

High levels of waste and fly-tipping in an alley off Myrtle Street in central Middlesbrough

Residents have claimed piles of rubbish outside their homes has started to attract "rats the size of dogs".

Bin collections in Middlesbrough have recently changed from weekly to fortnightly, prompting concerns from some about vermin.

However, people in one neighbourhood in the town's Central ward told the BBC "disgusting" waste had plagued their backstreets for "at least a decade".

Labour councillors said they inspect the alleys once a week and report issues to the authority. Middlesbrough Borough Council did not want to comment.

Myrtle Street, Clarendon Road and Abingdon Road were among areas residents deemed worst affected.

The BBC spoke to people living there and within five minutes spotted a large rat, a huge pile of rubbish and a fly-tipped fridge on a pavement.

Some blamed a combination of residents, landlords and the council.

Amanda Galloway said living among such levels of waste was "disgusting" and said she sees dog-sized rats everyday.

"It's mainly bags of household waste that have been ripped open by the rats or dogs. That's what I see walking from my house to the shop," she said.

"It’s not a home. It’s not nice walking down the street looking at a load of rubbish".

The council can fine people up to £1,000 for fly-tipping

Chris Adamson told us he had taken to setting rat traps in his house and had to call pest control multiple times.

He said there had been a problem for a decade.

Darren Brown said he saw rats everyday and said rubbish had got worse since the pandemic.

Another resident, John, told us that seeing so much waste and fly-tipping made him feel "horrible and scruffy" and "ashamed to live on Teesside".

Resident Bryan told the BBC he was not impressed with the mess

Labour's Lewis Young, a councillor for the Central ward, said he and fellow councillors Linda Lewis and Zafar Uddin, inspect the alleys in the area once a week, and report fly-tipping and high levels of waste.

He admitted he has had "rats run over" his feet.

"Eight times out of 10 times, my emails or my phone calls will be about alley-cleaning," he said.

"Part of the 'complete clean' the council is trying to introduce should include baiting."

Local councillor Lewis Young has also seen rats in the alleyway

The council can issue fines of up to £1,000 for fly-tipping in the town.

Earlier this year, the Labour-led authority promised a fortnightly clean-up for all alleyways blighted by fly-tipping.

Figures shared with the BBC in May showed it had received 5,485 reports of waste and fly-tipping in the last 12 months.