Alarmed residents of a Fife street fear a fresh rat infestation as tonnes of rubbish again piles up outside their homes.
Dozens of bags of refuse, old food and even dirty nappies are constantly being dumped next to flats on one of Methil’s main thoroughfares.
Broken beds, vacuum cleaners and piles of tin cans have also been lying for several weeks at the former rodent hotspot.
And there is even a bag of rubbish on the roof of a three-storey building after someone attempted to throw it out of a window.
Disgusted householder Ellie Dryburgh has spent £20 on fly spray in the last fortnight as swarms of insects invade her home.
And the 19-year-old said the stench during the recent heatwave had been hard to bear.
“It’s unbelievable,” she said.
“Folk are just chucking stuff out of windows and emptying wheelie bins to fit their own stuff in. It’s just disgusting.”
Foot-long attack rats
The horrendous pile-up beside Swan View flats on Wellesley Road, comes four years after Fife Council moved in with diggers to remove several tonnes of waste.
Rats, said to have grown up to a foot-long, had set up home in the undergrowth as a result and one woman said she had not slept in her bed for eight weeks due to the stench of rotting carcasses in her wall cavities.
Meanwhile, a local builder claimed he was attacked by a “fearless” 12-inch rodent.
The problem appeared to be solved but started escalating again towards the end of last year.
“All these nappies and old food just started appearing from nowhere,” said Ellie.
“We’ve already got all these flies and it won’t be long before there are rats.
“It’s frustrating and worrying.”
Ellie has now enlisted the help of SNP councillor John O’Brien.
He is astonished by the fresh build-up of rubbish, branding it horrendous.
“It’s absolutely disgusting,” he said.
“The bins are all full and because the recycling is contaminated with landfill the council won’t empty them.
“People have just started chucking bags down the stairs and out the windows.
“What’s the solution? I say landlords should be taking more responsibility to ensure their tenants are recycling responsibly.”
No excuse for Methil fly-tipping
Meanwhile, the “persistent fly-tipping has been condemned by Fife Council, which is investigating.
It’s also sending in a recycling advisor to work with residents.
Safer communities manager Kirstie Freeman said there is no excuse.
“We’re aware of persistent fly-tipping and misuse of bins at this location and we’re working closely with residents and our partners to tackle the issue,” she said.
“We’ve also arranged for a recycling advisor to visit the area to give locals advice and provide an update on current bin issues.
“I would urge people to dispose of recyclable waste responsibly at our recycling points and centres, which are open.”
Kirstie added: “There’s absolutely no excuse for fly-tipping – it is a blatant disregard of the law, our outdoor environment and our communities.
“No-one wants to see rubbish and garden waste dumped, and these bins are for the householders to use.”
Anyone with information that can help the council with it’s investigation should get in touch at www.fife.gov.uk/flytipping, emailing safercommunities.team@fife.gov.uk or calling 03451 550 022.