“I am completely embarrassed and ashamed to live here” – These are the words of a woman who has been unable to open her windows due to an overflowing bin shed at her block of flats in Bracknell.

Gabi Hitchen-John, a 29-year-old dog walker has been a resident of the flats on Newlands Place just off Larges Lane for 18 months.

After discovering maggots and rats in the property bin shed, she contacted The News with concerns for her health and welfare.

Pictures of the bin shed, provided by residents, show that the area is overcome with months of rubbish and fly-tipping causing a "vile and overpowering" smell which is affecting some of the residents.

Gabi explained: “The state of the bins has been like this for years. I’ve contacted the council, the housing association and environmental health, and none of them care about sorting it out.

“Residents put their rubbish in the bin shed themselves however some of them have been seen fly-tipping mattresses TV’s, car parts and sofas to name a few.

“This has been affecting me in a very bad way. Its making my depression worse, especially in the summer months as I cannot open my windows or balconies without the smell from the bins coming in.”

After reaching out to members of the community, another resident confirmed that she seen a man in a van dumping the contents of his van in the bin shed.

Stonewater, the company which manages the upkeep of the property and communal areas within the flats, were contacted by both residents and The News following multiple complaints on this issue of fly-tipping and improper waste disposal.

Following discussions, the bin area has been cleared of all rubbish, waste, and fly-tipping.

A spokesperson from Stonewater UK said: “We are sorry that the bin area at Newlands Place has been impacted by fly-tipping and improper waste disposal.

“We were aware of the problem and had already arranged for our contractor to clear the bin area on Wednesday 27 September 2023. The bin area is now clear of waste, fly-tipping and rubbish. “The bin area is a secure bin store that is emptied fortnightly.

“Our customers and contractors have exclusive access to this area – it should not be accessible for waste from anyone else.

“We are developing an improvement plan for waste collection at the property to help prevent the future build-up of excess waste. We are also working with customers to maintain security and to encourage recycling and responsible waste disposal to minimise accumulation of waste.”