Probe as bins emptied at single home

COUNCIL bosses are investigating after dustmen drove past full wheelie bins and black sacks before appearing to empty rubbish from a single address in a city street.

Matthew Bowater, of Cockshut Hill, in Yardley, recorded the refuse workers on CCTV as their truck drove past his home and stopped a few doors away.

Two dustmen were then shown collecting sacks of waste and emptying two wheelie bins before they climbed back into the cab and the vehicle drove off.

Rubbish has been left to fester on streets across Birmingham after binmen launched strike action over a proposed jobs and hours shake-up.

But Mr Bowater’s footage – recorded on Monday afternoon – showed the collection crew driving past at least one wheelie bin with a black sack on top before they took away refuse from another location further along the road.

The 38-year-old, who stressed that he initially supported the striking binmen, complained to the city council and his MP, Jess Phillips.

He said: “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I watched the footage. One lucky person has had their rubbish collected.

“Why were they given special treatment?

“Monday is our bin day but they haven’t been collected for five weeks. I have seen rats in the street. I supported the binmen and their reasons for striking before but my sympathy is waning now.”

Ms Phillips raised the matter with the council after watching Mr Bowater’s video.

She said: “It seems very odd that they would collect only one bin on a road. I can think of no reasonable explanation for what is very clear on the video.”

A council spokesman said the authority was aware of the footage and was investigating.