A FULL-time carer has shared her concerns after being unable to take her 66-year-old mother into her communal garden due to a giant rubbish heap.

Tracey Watts, 47, who looks after her mother at Mansel Road West flats in Redbridge, said she is "worried that her or her mother will catch something" from the piles of rubbish bags that have not been collected since Thursday.

Daily Echo:

Multiple bins have been piled up next to a full bin, and maggots were also seen crawling on one rubbish bag.

According to Tracey, a member of the Council visiting the flats on Thursday August 15 came across the rubbish pile and said they would sort it out after Tracey had already reported the waste, but nothing has been done since then, despite numerous calls that Tracey said she has made to them.

The main reason why Tracey is worried is because of "children living in the flats" and "mostly health reasons".

She said: "Me and my mum aren't healthy ourselves - my mum has had two strokes and she is paralysed in a wheelchair, while I have fibromyalgia which affects my joints, and osteoarthritis.

"I like to take my mum into the garden usually to get her some fresh air now and again but I can't now, and children play in this area - I just wanted it sorted as it's not fair."

She added: "The children living here also include a baby and the rubbish is even blocking my shed, so god knows what has got into there."

Daily Echo:

Another resident shared similar concerns and said: "It's diabolical. I can't even open my balcony door because the wasps come in.

"My dog went out and the whole side of his face was bitten by wasps - it all swelled up but luckily it went down or we would have had to take him to the vets.

She added: "My sons don't even go out there anymore as they don't like wasps. What's going on? Are the Council on strike or something?"

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: "We’re currently investigating if this incident of fly-tipping has been reported to us. Illegal dumping of rubbish is irresponsible, antisocial and can be damaging to the environment.

"The rubbish that has been fly-tipped will be cleared imminently. We would urge anyone who has any information regarding this to email community.safety@southampton.gov.uk."