Fife Council has been accused of turning a blind eye to rotting rubbish piling up near a primary school.
Methil councillor John O’Brien fears a rat infestation next to Aberhill Primary as overflowing household bins continue to be ignored several months after he reported the issue.
Mr O’Brien claimed council officers were not doing their jobs to keep the region’s streets clean as budget cuts begin to bite and said local people are becoming increasingly frustrated at the situation.
But the council has hit back, saying workers pick up a truck full of rubbish from the streets of Methil every single day.
Ken Gourlay, head of assets, transportation and environment, said a clean-up of the bins would be organised as soon as possible but added that streets would be kept clean if local people threw their litter in bins or took it home with them.
Mr O’Brien said 30-odd bins at the back of Aberhill Primary School have not been lifted and were becoming very smelly.
“The bins are contaminated, meaning landfill waste has been put in the recycling bins, so the council won’t empty them.
“I realise it’s the householders’ responsibility to sort it out but the flats there are short-term lets and the rubbish has nothing to do with the people who live there now.”
Mr O’Brien said people were reluctant to empty the bins by hand as they had no idea what they would encounter.
“I know of one woman who is having to fill bin bags and take them down to the skip every week,” he added.
“They council have left all these contaminated bins near a primary school. There could be rats.
“They should take responsibility and empty these bins.”
Mr O’Brien also claimed streets were not being swept frequently enough and blamed council cutbacks for a build-up of rubbish.
Mr Gourlay said: “We’ll inspect the area around Wellesley Road and organise a clean-up of the bins as soon as possible.
“Our teams collect almost a pick-up truck full of rubbish off the streets of Methil every working day and a self-propelled mechanical sweeper cleans the road edges in the Methil area at least once a week.
“That’s a lot of resource and public money being used on a job that shouldn’t be necessary.
“We can only urge the public to throw their litter in bins or take it home with them, and encourage others to do the same to keep the community clean.”
