Warmer weather could prove fatal for Birmingham residents as the ongoing waste crisis could turn from bad to worse, experts have warned.
The city has been plagued by ongoing bin strikes, causing streets to pile high with an estimated 170,000 tons of rubbish.
Workers have been striking for weeks following plans by the Labour-run Birmingham City Council to reduce waste collection roles and pay in a bid to shore up its finances.
The strikes began on March 11 when members on the Unite union walked out over the long-running dispute.
The local authority in the city has since declared a ‘major incident’ amid growing concerns about public health.
Now, with highs of 21C forecast for the coming week, the increased heat could put residents at a huge risk of disease.
As rats continue to thrive in the city’s squalor, with some reported being ‘the size of cats’, concerns have been raised the animals could begin to spread Weil’s disease.
The potentially fatal disease is a bacterial infection which is found in the urine of wild animals. It is known to spread faster in warm weather.
Infectious disease expert Dr Elizabeth Sheridan told The Telegraph that Weil’s – can be spread by rats – is what she is most concerned about for residents.
She said the heat makes rats breed faster, creating a higher risk of people coming in contact with the creature’s urine.
She added: ‘Most people don’t know if they have been exposed to rat urine. You are at risk if you handle things that rats have been running over and that gets into your system.
‘For example, if you were handling bin bags and it got into your eyes or you put your hands in your mouth.
‘If anyone is handling stuff where rats have been, they should wear gloves and wash their hands.’
Dr Sheridan said that the disease can prove fatal in certain cases, but added that most people will have a fever that can be treated with antibiotics.
Older people with weaker immune systems though are most at risk to the worst symptoms.
Between 2020 and 2023, there were on average 57 confirmed cases and 89 probable cases of Weil’s disease, according to the UK Health Secretary Agency.
Symptoms include vomiting, headaches, body aches, tummy aches and a high temperature.
In 2010, Olympic gold medalist rower Andy Holmes died from the disease after a 26-mile sculling marathon.
Adam Kent, a Worcestershire councillor for the Wythall area, revealed the problem in a photo he posted on social media last month. He called the contrast ‘deeply concerning’.
To make matters worse for cash-strapped Birmingham City Council, which was declared effectively bankrupt in 2023, want to increase the ‘rat tax’ – the charging for pest control – a service which was previously free.
Outraged locals now have to pay £24 per per call out but the council plans to hike prices once again to £26.40.
Rebel councillor Sam Forsyth has slammed the Labour-run council, telling BirminghamLive she had ‘no choice’ but to vote against their budget proposals as increased ‘rat tax’ would hit the city’s poorest the hardest.
But speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on April 2, Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘In relation to the situation in Birmingham, it is completely unacceptable.
‘I fully support the council in declaring a major incident to resolve the situation and we will put in whatever additional support is needed.’
The rat infestation has become so bad the rodents have been dubbed the Squeaky Blinders because they appear to have the city in their grip – much like the Peaky Blinders gang of the late nineteenth century which inspired the BBC drama series of the same name.
Mr Timms, who runs WJ Pest Solutions, says he caught a 22-inch rat last week – the same size as a ferret, some monkeys or a small dog – and has only had one day off in nearly three months.
He said: ‘The issue is getting out of control. There are bags piled 5ft high and 10-15ft across.
‘Rats the size of kittens are being seen daily. I had one last week that measured over 22in in length.’
Mr Timms said that ‘on the odd occasion’ West Midlands Police had been called out to help deal with the problem, but the force today denied that it’s firearms unit had been involved in tackling the rodent menace.
Other pest controllers across Birmingham say they have also seen business levels double since the strikes began and there’s also been a surge in cockroaches.
Mr Timms added: ‘Work increase has been 50 per cent more compared to previous years. Cockroach calls have also gone up too.
‘As a born and bred Brummie I feel disgusting how the city looks.
‘On my street alone we have bins that haven’t been collected, with black sacks starting to pile up, I had a day off for the first time in two months as my wife and body were telling me it’s time for a break.’