Maggots have been left to breed and multiply in bins at flats in Swindon.

Joanne O'Connell, resident at the Redhouse Way estate in North Swindon, contacted the Advertiser after she saw a swarm of maggots crawling around on the overflowing rubbish in the bins outside her flat in Campion House, which she says has been ongoing for the last year. 

She has become increasingly concerned as she feels the issue has been allowed to escalate and residents have started seeing maggots on the ground outside their flat, with one resident reporting maggots on his windowsill. 

Joanne believes the management company Centrick oversees the waste disposal and general maintenance of Campion House, but says there either needs to be more bins to prevent the overflow of rubbish or the bins need to be cleaned and then emptied more frequently.

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She said: “It’s really bad, we have had the issue for over a year with overflowing rubbish and part of the car park was full of rubbish. The bin men said they couldn’t empty the bin as the lid was broken.

“They said they couldn’t empty one of the bins, but then they didn’t empty any of them. They were left for six weeks and the lid vanished.

“You can see maggots on the bottom of the bin and the car park has been covered in them, so you don’t want to walk over them.

“It’s disgusting out there, when it’s humid and wet they multiply and sometimes you have cats going into the bins.

“Another neighbour had maggots on the inside of his windowsill, as the kitchen overlooks the bins. He was furious. It’s not pleasant at all. We’re lucky that we’re not overlooking the bins.

(Image: Joanne O'Connell)

“There’s four bins that are emptied two times a week for 20 residents. Personally, I think there needs to be more bins as they get filled up very quickly.

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“Nobody wants to touch them, the bins have never been washed and the maggots have been left to breed constantly",  Joanne added.

After contacting Centrick about the residents' concerns, the bins were emptied on Tuesday morning.

A Centrick spokesperson said: "Site standards are incredibly important to Centrick and we have conducted an investigation of this issue this morning.

"We attended the site today and the area in question is completely clear with no overflowing bins or maggots.

(Image: Centrick) "Noting the comments stating this issue has been occurring for over a year, Centrick only assumed management of this development two weeks ago and we are currently working our way through the information provided by the previous agent. 

"We will review the current refuse strategy moving forward as, if this is indeed a longstanding issue, then it would appear the current collection regime is insufficient. In the meantime, we will arrange a clean and disinfectant of the bins.  

"Additionally, we are always open to meeting with our customers on-site. Given that this development is new to us, we would be glad to meet with any residents who wish to discuss it further. You can find our contact information on our noticeboard or website."

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