Shocking pictures show tonnes of rubbish dumped on streets by students

Shocking pictures show tonnes of rubbish dumped on the streets by students in Birmingham.

Smashed furniture, beds, split black bags full of rotting food, empty booze bottles and dozens of discarded face masks have been left strewn across the terraced streets in Selly Oak.

The area, which houses more than 10,000 2nd and 3rd-year university students, has now been nicknamed “Smelly Oak” by fed-up locals.

Birmingham City Council is now sending in extra refuse crews to help clear the mountains of waste left by students who have gone home for the summer.

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Councillor Brigid Jones, who represents Bournbrook and Selly Park, said: “Our streets are still filthy.

“We picked up 100 tonnes of waste over the last few days, but as quickly as we pick it up, more comes out.

"We need people to be mindful of what they are throwing away and how they are throwing it away.

"You might have moved out but there are still people living here.

“We’ve had extra crews brought in but as fast as the streets have been cleared, more waste has been coming out.”

A Birmingham University student, who called himself Rob, said: “It’s a disgrace.

“What I find most ironic is that a lot of students who live here are studying environmental science and they leave their own road like this.

“Everyone wants to get home for the summer break but for god's sake, some people treat their student accommodation like a giant tip. It’s shameful.”

Local resident Carl Burrows, 40, who runs an IT business from home, said: “People who live here are getting used to rubbish left by students but this year has been especially bad.

“Whether they just don’t care about people living here while they swan off to their parents’ homes I don’t know but it really is disgusting.

“This used to be a pleasant place to live, but now it’s been turned into an eyesore.

“I’ve seen mums trying to walk their kids on the path while rats run around and eat food coming out of split bin bags.

“It’s no wonder why everyone calls this place Smelly Oak. It’s a grim place to be at this time of year.”

Meanwhile, local Kirsty Barton said the mess "gets worse every year" as students leave overflowing bins and refuse sacks on pavements.

She said: "I have seen rats in the avenue, the smell is horrendous. It is embarrassing when you have family members coming over, anything like that.

"For me, the biggest trouble is getting around with the buggy.

"It is so narrow, the bins are never put back and students don't consider people who might need to move in a wheelchair, or with a buggy or bikes, so I have to move black bags of rubbish, kick stuff or move bins out of the way."

A council spokesperson said: "We have deployed significant extra resource into the Selly Oak area in recent days in recognition of the increased tonnages of waste that are being presented for collection at the end of student year.”

Birmingham University said students living in private accommodation are advised on how to “remove their waste and unwanted items and keep Selly Oak clean”.