A resident in a flat belonging to a housing association in Trafford has claimed the company and council have regularly failed to collect waste for the past three years, leaving neighbours "plagued" by vermin.

Nikki Farrell said she has complained to the housing association, Irwell Valley Homes, since 2019 over the "ongoing" issue of a lack of refuse collection at her home on Seymour Grove.

The 49-year-old has been documenting the state of the bin shed ever since.

Her footage reveals the scale of the problem with bags of waste piled high while nappies and sanitary towels litter the area.

Messenger Newspapers: Video footage shows residents are unable to access the bins or recycling pointsVideo footage shows residents are unable to access the bins or recycling points (Image: Nikki Farrell)

Ms Farrell said the situation is so bad that it's "scary" to go into the bin shed due to the "flies, smell, rats, mice and squirrels" and that residents couldn't even attempt to recycle even if they wanted to.

She added: "It feels like we live in slums.

"How many more years do we have to live with this? It's disgusting and is like this for most weeks."

However, in a statement to Messenger, Irwell Valley Homes said it is not responsible for waste collection and that the duty "lies with the council".

Meanwhile, Trafford Council said it has become aware of the bin collection issues and is "in discussions with Irwell Valley Homes to resolve this."

The block of flats is home to many vulnerable residents including Ms Farrell who said neighbours are also "sick" of the situation.

However, she said the problem only ever gets resolved when she complains on social media - and even then, she claims the clean-up job is less than satisfactory.

Messenger Newspapers: Ms Farrell said the issue is occasionally addressed but the waste soon piles up again. Image by Nikki FarrellMs Farrell said the issue is occasionally addressed but the waste soon piles up again. Image by Nikki Farrell (Image: Nikki Farrell)

On Tuesday, September 27, Irwell Valley Homes did send someone to clean the area but Ms Farrell said the clean-up was "not good enough".

She added: "If the bin men don't come again, it will start overflowing again by morning."

Messenger Newspapers: Ms Farrell has been documenting the shed since 2019. Image by Nikki FarrellMs Farrell has been documenting the shed since 2019. Image by Nikki Farrell (Image: Nikki Farrell)

She said the problem is compounded by the fact the housing association recently relocated the bin shed and that the bins have not been cleaned or properly maintained.

She added: "The bins themselves are full of holes from vermin.

"(Irwell Valley Homes) have other properties that don't have this problem and I can't fathom why this isn't being resolved once and for all.

"It could be sorted like they have at other blocks of flats, but no one has taken ownership.

"We need new bins so that we can recycle, too."

Messenger Newspapers: Images show the bins were still brimming with waste, even after the housing association cleaned the area. Image by Nikki Farrell.Images show the bins were still brimming with waste, even after the housing association cleaned the area. Image by Nikki Farrell. (Image: Nikki Farrell)

Irwell Valley Homes said: "We appreciate the impact the state of the bin area is having on residents and have been working to address this with residents and the council."

The housing association said rubbish at the flats is being disposed of incorrectly, leaving Trafford Council struggling to collect the waste.

The spokesperson continued: "Whilst refuse collection isn't our responsibility, we have cleared and cleaned the bin area and our community co-ordinator has been in regular contact with several residents to address and rectify the issues so the council can carry out their scheduled collections."

The council said the overflowing rubbish is a "health and safety issue as crews cannot access the bins safely" and said it will send a waste minimisation team to advise residents on how to recycle.

The council spokesperson added: "We have explained to Irwell Valley Homes that we cannot remove additional waste left around the bin stores.

"Discussions are still ongoing to find a solution.

"Some of the recycling bins are heavily contaminated with items that cannot be recycled. This has also been discussed with Irwell Valley Homes."