Rats have been spotted as bins that "stink" continue to overflow at an a apartment block in Swindon.

A resident at Lincoln Street’s Queensgate flats says the rubbish there was not collected for two-and-a-half weeks.

It comes after council changes to residential waste collections in November last year resulted in all households in the borough having general waste collected fortnightly rather than weekly.

The changes apply to communal bins in flats as well as individual houses.

“They're leaving us with 16 people’s rubbish for a fortnight," said Susie, 67.

Rubbish after at the end the two week cycle before it is collected attracts rats and flies (Image: Susie Wagner)

“It is nasty. The smell, the flies - it is disgusting. It's right next to the stairs you take up to the flat meaning you have to walk by the stench.

“I’ve seen rats down there. It’s awful.”

Susie says she once saw a badger rooting through the rubbish. 

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She added: “There's some with babies with nappies. So, you know, it opens up."

Susie recently noticed a pest control van parked next to her apartment block, which she suspects may be connected to the built-up waste.

General waste and food are collected one week and recycling and food the next under a system that has now been in force for seven months.

Rubbish after at the end the two week cycle before it is collected attracts rats and flies (Image: Susie Wagner)

The changes were aimed at improving recycling rates at a time when less than 40 per cent of Swindon’s household waste was recycled.

The new system was not without hiccups, with residents complaining in January of rubbish going weeks uncollected and ripped into by foxes and cats.

Households were sent letters notifying them of the new collection timetable for their street but Susie claims she was never notified.

The new waste collection scheme is now active in Swindon (Image: Aled Thomas)

She moved into Queensgate in 2018.

She said: “I don't understand why after the six years I've lived here they've suddenly changed. 

“Now I have to make a fuss every week to get the bins collected.”

READ MORE: Swindon bin collections: All you need to know about recycling changes

Last week the rubbish was  collected after 18 days following a complaint made by Susie to new Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said: “When we rolled out the changes to our waste and recycling service some of our collection routes were changed and this resulted in the Queensgate properties being put on a different collection cycle. 

“We sent out a team to collect the excess waste and we will carry out a review to understand if any changes need to be made to the service.”