'I live on Sandwell's border with Birmingham and the bin strikes have been hell - from rodents in the walls, rubbish piled high and flytipping door knocks'

But unfortunately for me and the residents around me... the bin strikes have hit mere metres away down the street. 

Birmingham's bin strike began with initial walkouts on January 6, 2025. But the strike was made indefinite by Unite union members on March 11, 2025. 

The dispute arose over planned changes to roles and pay, with workers fearing significant pay cuts - and I do agree that the workers have the right to protect their incomes, especially as the cost of living continues to rise.

Striking workers have claimed they face a pay cut of £8,000 – the council disputes this figure and insists that a fair offer had been made before negotiations came to an end last summer.

That being said - I wish the Council would find a solution acceptable to workers as Unite the Union members have voted to extend their industrial action into September 2026 just weeks ago, as Birmingham residents may be struggling with the impact but so are the residents in border towns. 

I, for one, have had a nightmare - from walking down streets piled high with bin bags to flytipping near by and rodents coming into my home.

The Furry Home Invaders

I never knew what my worst nightmare looked like until I was left too scared to sit in my living room. 

One night in May 2025, my partner and I were sitting watching TV together and he saw something move along the wall out the corner of his eye and go under the stairs. I was oblivious and was adamant there was nothing there... and I wish it stayed that way.

The following evening I was sat in the living room and IT RAN ACROSS THE COUCH! A fat rodent. I had not idea if it was a rat or a mouse - all I knew was I wasn't staying there. I screamed and ran out the room. My partner came to my aid armed with a broom - and in a scene that looked like the scene of a Tom and Jerry cartoon he chased back under the stairs.

For days after, I refused to go downstairs. I would hardly eat. Nothing felt clean and safe. I would jump out of bed screaming if the quilt so much as brushed my leg while I was sleeping. 

I would have never have said I'd had a phobia before but I think I realised I did then. 

We set up a camera to spy on them coming out at night - watch the video above.

I couldn't praise my landlord and the pest controller Seamus enough for the steps they took to help us get rid of them over the weeks that followed. In total, we caught around 5 with traps and had multiple nibbles taken from poison laid around the house. But at the same time, I was heartbroken. I had lived in this property for years with no issues until this point - and call me crazy but I feel the mounting rubbish down the street had a lot to do with it. 

I now have two very cheeky cats, Aston (yes like the football team) and Mr Ginger, who I'm sure will make a meal of any furry home invaders should they manage to claw their way in again. 

Bin bag piles

When you consider the scenes of streets across Birmingham in the last year, it will come as no surprise that outside businesses in Great Barr has been no different. 

Near Poundland, across the road from the Scott Arms pub, it has become a regular site to see mounds of bin bags piled high and heavily littered alleyways. 

It is shameful to see this happen to your local area. To see people standing near mounds of waste while waiting for the bus or popping in their local shop. 

Especially when the opposite side of the street appears much clearer. 

Flytipping Investigators

Even this was a problem I hadn't expected to encounter - flytipping outside my house! 

I rarely went round the back of my house really, but I started to realise there was a serious problem brewing when I went outside to see a discarded fridge. 

Then again, when I was having old furniture collected and a disgruntled neighbour came out to ensure the work men weren't coming to dump rubbish. I thought surely it couldn't be that regular until... knock! knock! Men from the council at my door wanting to know if I knew anything about rubbish flytipped round the back of my house. 

Before 2025, I'd not heard anything of that happening literally on my doorstep so I requested figures related to my street from Sandwell Council using a Freedom of Information request. Between 2023 and 2025, there were 17 instances of flytipping on my road, costing the council £339 - 11 (64%) of which were in 2025, making up £209 (62%). 

This is compared to the 2 (12%) incidents in 2023 (£36, 11% of total costs) and 4 (24%) incidents in 2024 (£94, 28% of total costs). Common items flytipped included green waste, bin bags, litter, furniture and commercial waste.

While I can't say for certain that the strikes have caused this spike - I will say the timing of the strike does correlate with the increase.

Sandwell Council declined to comment. Birmingham City Council were also approached for a comment.