Shocking footage show mountains of uncollected rubbish piled up on the streets of Birmingham after refuse collectors were depleted by the spread of Omicron. <br /><br />Bins have been left overflowing with trash and household waste remains uncollected due to staff shortages across the city caused by Covid. <br /><br />Homeowners in Birmingham who have been waiting since before Christmas to have their bins collected were still waiting today (Tue) for their bins to be picked up. <br /><br />Videos taken in the Aston and Small Heath areas of the city show festering mounds of bin liners piled up outside properties and dumped on grass verges. <br /><br />Other images show how people have brazenly fly-tipped other items on residential streets- including mattresses, sofas and Christmas trees. <br /><br />Teams were drafted in from street cleaning roles in an bid to minimise disruption but several streets were missed out and remain "an absolute eyesore".<br /><br />Student Pavel Bartos, 23, who lives in Aston, said residents had been waiting since before Christmas to have their bins collected.<br /><br />He added: "It's been a nightmare and the place has been left looking like a complete tip and is surely a health hazard. <br /><br />"It is an absolute eyesore and we thought they would be collected by now, but they haven't. It's like living in a slum. <br /><br />"We were told the Christmas collections would be missed due to staff shortages but to be four days into the New Year and is still look like this is really bad. <br /><br />"It always seems to be bin problems in Birmingham. The place just looks a dump. I know Covid is hitting a lot of people but they should have back-up plans in place. <br /><br />"We're due to hold the Commonwealth Games this year a mile down the road - this just makes us look a joke.<br /><br />"If they can't even keep up with bin collections how are we going to host a massive international sporting event? They can't even organise their bin men." <br /><br />Birmingham councillor John O'Shea, who represents Acocks Green, said last week: "The service has been badly affected by Covid absence this week and a number of rounds have had to be dropped as a result across the city. <br /><br />"We have had staff volunteer to come in on Sunday, January 2 to try to clear as many outstanding rounds as possible.<br /><br />"Like other services and functions across the country, our people are being hit with Covid infections and isolation.<br /><br />"We have again taken crews from the street cleansing role to support refuse collection, but this is not enough cover."<br /><br />A Local Government Association spokesperson added: "As cases of COVID-19 rise in light of the Omicron variant, councils are concerned that these existing staffing issues may get worse."<br /><br />MFL - UPDATED COUNCIL STATEMENT
