'This Birmingham park was popular with families - it’s now full of rubbish and rats'

Shocking footage shows the disgusting state of an historic Birmingham park - which is covered in rotting rubbish and is overrun by rats. 

Horrified residents have called for action after the park has become an impromptu fly-tipping hotspot. Huge mounds of waste have been piling up inside Henry Barber Park in Bordesley Green. 

The litter - which includes furniture, food waste and dirty nappies - is causing an insufferable smell for the neighbouring houses. One mum, who wished to remain anonymous, said the park was so bad she refuses to let her kids play on it.

The mum-of-two said: "I don't like my children playing here anymore, it isn't safe. Who knows what's in these bags, it could be syringes or knives. You don't want your children finding this when they're supposed to be playing.

"The waste, some if it is locals. But it's drawing rats to the park and that isn't clean. You look at it and it looks almost like a wasteland, full of rubbish and bags." 

Sabir Hussain, who lives nearby, blasted the council for its lack of action. 

The 82-year-old said: "It makes me feel bad, you walk on the grass and you can see the rubbish. It smells bad, too, it's awful.

“It's the council, they must be doing their job, but they aren't. All of this road and Imperial Road, it's like it all over. Please do something. Great Britain, it's not so great anymore, think about it. I walk here every morning but it's full of very bad things. Fifty years ago when I came here, it was a very nice area. Now it's all rubbish."

Another neighbour said: "It's been like this for a year. We're very upset as people are throwing their rubbish here. We have the bins so people should be taking advantage of that. But they're just throwing it in the park. It's quite disgusting when you're walking past. I have a disabled brother, and we don't want him anywhere near it." 

Another local said: “As parks go this one used to be popular with young families and kids to hang out. Because it was surrounded on all sides by residential streets it always felt safe and the community looked after it. 

“Since the Birmingham bin strike and with the cost of living crisis, it’s become an unofficial dump. Like many parts of the city, it’s just covered in rubbish and now rats are everywhere too. It’s a no-go zone for kids and families now.” 

The park was named after one of Birmingham’s most famous sons Sir William Henry Barber - a 19th century property developer. He made his fortune expanding the city’s suburbs which have sadly become rundown and rubbish strewn in recent years. 

Mum Michelle, who has lived near the park for 15 years, said: “The state of the park just reflects the horrible state of the city. People are so poor and struggling to pay for everyday things so pride in the area has gone out the window. 

“The bin strike has made littering and fly-tipping almost normal. The stench from the park now is really bad. I used to take my kids to play there in the summer but I wouldn’t ever do that now, there are rats everywhere and god knows what else.”

Birmingham City Council say they are cracking down on fly-tippers. 

Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Fly-tipping harms where we all have to live and work and is carried out by environmental criminals that have no regard for our neighbourhoods or their well-being.  

“When fly-tipping occurs, we act as quickly as possible. Our crews clear hundreds of fly-tipping reports each week; this is in addition to the work our neighbourhood crews undertake to clean up across the city. 

“Everyone needs to play their part in maintaining a clean environment. We have plenty of lawful options for people to responsibly dispose of waste or unwanted items.  

“We are committed to prosecuting fly-tippers whenever possible, and we encourage residents to provide reports and evidence for us to do so.”