Grimsby family ‘disgusted’ by overflowing communal bin used by people in nine flats

A Grimsby family are ‘fed up’ with overflowing bins in a communal waste area, with some of it allegedly having been there for over a month because anything not inside the bin is not collected.

Mark and Maxine Wray live on Werneth Road with Maxine’s daughter Nicole, 15, who they say has been forced to clean the rubbish herself after the family got sick and tired of having to look at it all. The communal bin, which is shared by eight other occupants in their block, is emptied every week, but only the waste that is actually in there is taken, and loose rubbish is left behind.

Some of that is food waste and Mark and his family are frustrated by the situation. Housing provider LHP says regular inspections are carried out, with arrangements then made for excess rubbish to be collected – it also urged customers to ‘recycle properly and not put too much rubbish in the communal bins’.

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Mark said: “We moved in here just over two months ago and this problem has been going on for about four weeks now. Whenever the bins get full, all the rubbish starts to overflow and is left on the floor. The bin men don’t come and collect the rubbish on the floor, just what’s in the bin itself.

“You can’t even shut the door leading to the bin because there is that much of it.” He added: “LHP sent letters out telling people to make sure their rubbish was in the bin, but it did nothing.

“They sent someone out to clear it all completely the other day, but it’s already back to the way it was.” Although teenager Nicole has cleaned the area before, Mark feels like it’s not safe for her to continue doing this.

“I worry rats might start coming in if this isn’t sorted soon. Frankly, I think it’s disgusting that it’s been allowed to get to this point. People walk by and look at the bins and they must think we don’t look after the place, but that’s not the case.”

He added: “We just want it sorted and for all the rubbish to be cleared when they come to empty the bins. It’s not the residents that are an issue, it’s the people who deal with removing all the waste. At times, it’s that bad that it makes us question whether we’ve done the right thing by moving here.”

A spokesperson for LHP said: “LHP, as a locally based housing provider, is committed to keeping our neighbourhoods clean and safe by working in partnership with the local authority and other partners. We appreciate the concern about the issue of overflowing bins on Werneth Road, and we take it very seriously.

“Our Neighbourhood Officer regularly inspects the area and arranges for the removal of overflowing rubbish if necessary. However, we also need the help of LHP customers to keep the bins clear.

“We urge customers to recycle properly and to not put too much rubbish in the communal bins. We continue to remind our customers of their responsibility in disposing of their rubbish correctly and safely. If you see someone who is not disposing of their waste properly, please contact us. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the wider community.”