STINKING bags of rubbish were left to rot at a development in Bracknell for five weeks after binmen were unable to collect them.

Residents at Canterville Place were unable to open their windows due to the stench of the rubbish, which was heightened by the heatwave temperatures.

One resident, Lynn Buckle, said that binmen had refused to collect the rubbish due to obstructions in front of the communal bins.

She said: "There were flies and rats, the children couldn't play outside. Somebody left a bag of rubbish outside so the council refused to collect it.

"There are 35 flats in this building, so that is a lot of rubbish being created.

"I contacted the council and Clarion Housing, both of whom said someone would come out to sort it but no-one did.I am so cross.

"The smell knocks you for six, there are maggots and rats' urine everywhere, but no sign of anyone to clean it, and no one to deal with the rat problem.

A council spokesman confirmed that the rubbish was eventually cleared from the site after the obstruction to the bins had been removed.

Janet Dowlman, head of environmental services at Bracknell Forest Council said: “The bins at Canterville Place were emptied on August 8, following previous scheduled collections being unsuccessful due to obstructions preventing access.

“Our waste collection operatives can only empty the bins if they can safely access them and wheel them to the vehicle. In this case, we reported the obstructions to Clarion so they could make arrangements to clear the area of excessive waste, which had been disposed of irresponsibly, causing the blockage.”

A spokesperson for Clarion Housing Group said: “Due to refuse sacks not being properly placed in the bins provided at Canterville Place, this caused the external bin store to become inaccessible to the local authority which prevented them collecting the rubbish. As a result, we arranged an additional collection and had the area cleared by contractors last week.

“In response to this issue, our local housing management team will be holding a Neighbourhood Day in September to engage with our residents and give advice about the proper disposal of their rubbish to prevent this happening again.”