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Rats the “size of dachshunds” are terrifying residents in Birmingham as the seven-week long bin strike continues.
Rubbish has been mounting on the streets since 11 March amid a dispute with the local council over pay and job security.
Towering piles of black bags has not only resulted in a permeating stench, but huge rats scurrying through waste has prompted fears that it could result in a surge of rodent-borne diseases.
Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Alex Burghart, told MPs: “Rats the size of dachshunds are terrifying the local residents.”
Referring to an article in the Daily Telegraph, he added Birmingham City Council has “warned of a possible surge of rat borne diseases” to which the elderly, disabled people and babies are particularly susceptible.
There are several rat borne diseases in the UK which can be spread through water contaminated with rat urine or from bites and scratches.
One disease is Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection found in rodents, that can cause flu-like symptoms and in the most serious cases kidney failure.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that can be carried and transmitted by rodents which can cause haemorrhagic fever, according to UKHSA.
Although rare, rat-bite fever is also caused by a type of bacteria carried by seemingly healthy rats and mice.
Spread through a bite from an infected rodent it can cause fever, muscle and joint pain, a rash and nausea within seven days.
Another infection highlighted by UKHSA is LCMV, which can cause a type of meningitis. People can become infected after exposure to rodent urine, dropping or saliva.
Criticising how the government has handled the bin strike Mr Burghart added: "The Government has had emergency powers throughout this crisis, not least Civil Contingencies Act."
Cabinet Office minister Abena Oppong-Asare reassured that “a lot of rubbish has been cleared”.
But Mr Burghart added: “There is still very much rubbish that is not cleared. And I hope that the Labour Party will perhaps undertake not to take any donations from Unite the Union while this crisis is ongoing."
It comes as union officials claim the end of the bin strikes are in “touching distance”.
A meeting between officials from Unite and Birmingham City Council on Wednesday ended without an agreement, resulting in the independent public body and conciliation service Acas now being involved in negotiations.
After the meeting, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said a deal “could be in touching distance” if the council stops “flip-flopping”.
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