COUNCIL officials are blaming residents for a maggot invasion on a Bradford street.

Overflowing bins and open bags full of food waste and dirty nappies have brought an infestation of the creepy-crawlies as well as mice and rats to Idle Road in Undercliffe.

Sickened residents contacted the Telegraph & Argus to complain about missed bin collections and the new twice-weekly collection regime introduced by Council chiefs last month.

The residents say the maggot and pest invasion is the Council’s fault for introducing fortnightly bin collections but the Council said the problem had been caused by residents themselves – by not recycling.

Resident Sarah Corkmaz, 38, said: “There were maggots everywhere, crawling out of the bins and down the street. Vermin have been getting into our houses, mice have been eating our bread. We’ve had to put down traps. We tried to get help from the Council pest control and were told we should manage our waste better but it’s not our fault. The bins and bags are put out but not collected. The bins are overflowing.

“There are babies on the street and there’s one family of 12 living here. It’s not like people aren’t bothered. Most of us are doing our damnedest. We are on a two-week rotation collection, we never had this problem before. The bins aren’t being emptied enough and that’s what’s causing the problem.”

Undercliffe ward councillor Rachel Sunderland (Lib Dem) visited the street she called “maggot central” after being contacted by the T&A, and organised an immediate clean-up.

Cllr Sunderland said: “Residents are keen to engage and talk and the Council has said it will monitor the street over the next two weeks as well as carry out an audit to see what is being done and what needs to be improved. Some people said they’ve asked for recycling bins but haven’t got them.”

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: “The problem in Idle Road has been caused by residents not recycling their waste. We have cleaned up this street and emptied the bins. We will be delivering grey recycling bins to all residents on the street who don’t presently have them and giving advice and encouragement on what can be recycled. The majority of local authorities in the country do not collect general waste every week and Bradford’s policy is in line with that.

“There should be few problems with alternate week collections if people recycle properly. Families with more than seven members in their household can apply to be assessed for a larger bin for their general waste and all households can request extra recycling bins for free. All residents have been provided with a permit with their Council Tax bills which allows them to dispose of any additional waste at a number of disposal sites across the district."

Information on recycling is available on Bradford Council’s website at bradford.gov.uk/recycling or by calling 01274 431000.