Sheffield bins: Overflowing bin near Northern General Hospital branded a 'health hazard'

That's the complaint of furious local Sarfraz Ishaq, who said the bin - on Firth Park Road, Sheffield - is 'absolutely disgusting' and a health hazard.

He fears it is regularly left unemptied.

"This is the only bin used by the public with a bus stop nearby, along with around half a dozen food takeaways," the 42-year-old businessman told The Star.

"So you can imagine how busy this bin is and how full it gets very quickly. It's horrendous.

"With it not being emptied for days it's absolutely disgusting - the litter is a hazard, and a danger to wildlife and road users.

"This bin is opposite the main entrance of the Northern General Hospital where we get people from around the whole of the UK visiting - and this is what they get to see!"

Mr Ishaq said he has been monitoring the situation for the last six months, and keeping a diary of when the bin is emptied - which he said does happen regularly on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

But then he said it appears not to be emptied from Friday until Monday evening.

"The locals have litter-picked, and left the rubbish bagged up next to the bin, but it is still not being collected. This is causing major litter issues and a bad reputation for Sheffield, and also causing damage to the environment," he said.

But Sheffield Council insists bins are emptied regularly.

Councillor Joe Otten, chair of the Waste and Street Scene Committee, said "It is important that we keep our neighbourhoods clean and tidy for both the local community and any visitors.

 "Bins in Firth Park and Page Hall are collected every weekday, this can happen during the day or overnight. If there are overflowing bins, residents can report this to the council online, by email, over the phone or using the FixMyStreet app. On average, once reported, bins are emptied within one business day.

"The council is aware of issues around residents using street bins to dispose of domestic waste. To help address this, the council is working with Amey and schools in the local community to help educate families on the best ways to dispose of their waste. Larger households can also request a bigger bin to help them manage their waste and avoid dumping it on the streets.

"We are so pleased when residents take pride in their neighbourhood and organise community litter picks. To help dispose of bags of rubbish after any litter picks, residents can use this form to request the litter be collected. This helps to avoid groups having to leave waste on the streets, which is illegal and could incur a fine.

"The council and Amey work hard to keep the streets clean and safe. Residents must also do their bit and ensure they’re disposing of waste properly. Using street bins to dispose of domestic waste or leaving bags of rubbish on the street next to bins is illegal and could incur a fine.

"If residents do see bins overflowing or with waste next to them, please report them to the council and we will send out crews to clean up any mess.”

If residents need additional or larger waste bins at home due to the size of their households they can request one via https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/bins-recycling-services/request-larger-additional-black-bin.

Litter picking groups can book a collection via this form: https://forms.sheffield.gov.uk/form/auto/litter_pick_collection.

Residents can report issues around rubbish in the following ways:

• Call 0114 2734567
• Email [email protected]
• Visit https://forms.sheffield.gov.uk/form/auto/report_litter_bin
• Download the FixMyStreet app.