Emptying Wirral bins and clearing rubbish 'a priority'

Tackling a backlog of rubbish that has built up in parts of Wirral over the Christmas break is a "priority", councillors have insisted.

Some people in Birkenhead claim waste has been left for more than two weeks, leaving a build-up of rubbish they fear is creating a health hazard.

Wirral Council admitted that leaving bins for weeks was "not acceptable", but blamed recent icy weather.

One resident said "everybody else in the road" had managed to get to work.

General waste should be collected every two weeks with a pick up of recycling materials in between.

But in some Birkenhead streets, overflowing bins and bags of rubbish have been building up since before Christmas.

Resident Andrew Harvey said: "I was storing rubbish ready to [collect]. I have been to the local tip with some rubbish."

Another resident, Hillary Morris, said: "It was quite treacherous, but I had to go to work and everybody else in the road had to go to work."

Sarah Turner, from Wallasey, told BBC News: "The bins in my street have not been emptied now for weeks.

"My rubbish is in a small mountain outside our house. I have two young children, one aged 20 months and the other three, both still in nappies. It's a health hazard."

Extra resources have been ordered by Wirral Council to get all collections fully up to date by Wednesday, the authority said.

Council leader, councillor Jeff Green, said: "Now that the worst of the weather is behind us, we must bring the bin collections back on track and that means immediate action by the council and our contractor, Biffa.

"Leaving bins uncollected for weeks is not acceptable."

The councillor said he had developed an action plan, alongside cabinet member for Streetscene Lesley Rennie, to get collections back to normal.

"Most people have understood that the atrocious weather has disrupted some services.

"However, people also pay their council tax and expect a level of service in return. Councillor Lesley Rennie and I are making it our priority to make sure that this happens."