Binmageddon: calls for action as students' end of term rubbish spills onto Manchester's streets

There are calls for more planning to deal with waste at the end of university terms, after mountains of rubbish were left spilling out of bins and alleyways in Manchester.

Maggots, rotting food and electrical items were all spotted on residential streets around Fallowfield and Rusholme in the south of the city.

Long-term residents and councillors claim "irresponsible" landlords clearing out student properties at the end of the academic year have dumped piles of rubbish in alleyways and on streets.

Manchester Council said it had hired additional wagons to collect "student waste" and will work with the universities to ensure they play more of a "pivotal role in preventing such a situation developing in future years".

But one neighbour said the problem shows no signs of stopping and has even termed the annual end of term phenomena ‘Binmageddon’.

Paul Jeffries has been calling for improvements for years through his ‘Bin Wars’ Twitter account.

Paul said: "I want the council to acknowledge that it is not doing enough. The people who cause these problems should be held to account.”

Paul added: “It’s just the same old problem year after year"

Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, Manchester Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “These incidents of fly-tipping are wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

"Our team have already begun the process of clearing the illegally dumped waste and we will have two crews working day and night on this throughout the coming week.

“We will also be meeting the city’s universities, to examine how we can avoid any repeat of this situation in future years.

“We have a number of prosecutions ongoing against fly-tippers in areas affected by student waste and our efforts to punish offenders will continue.”