Norwich may be called a ‘fine city’ but this summer it has turned into an ‘eww city’ as overflowing bins plague its parks and streets.
Rubbish strewed across the ground has also attracted an influx of rats, leading to some families shunning their local parks.
One mum-of-two said she has grown wary of taking her kids to Wensum Park, having spotted rodents when heading down to feed the ducks.
According to pest controller Andrew Dellbridge, dropping food and litter is causing an increase in rat populations across Norwich.
Now, city folk are demanding City Hall “clean it up!”.
PARKS FULL OF LITTER
Bins in parks across the city have been overflowing with rubbish, which has gotten so bad that people living locally have taken to clearing it up themselves.
Nigel Futter, 71, said: "I'm often out with a bag clearing rubbish up.
"More should be done to stop people littering - there should be more bins and signs warning people about dropping rubbish.
"It's just not on.
"It is just attracting pests like rats and wasps."
Ryan McMin, 41, said he has noticed a particular issue with people throwing bagged dog poo into the wooded areas in parks instead of in the bins.
He said: "People pick up their dog muck in a bag and then throw it into the trees."
"I've been out litter-picking around Anderson's Park and found so many bags of it.
"There isn't a dog waste bin either so those who do pick it up just throw it into the normal bins.
"It is terrible."
Dog owners are also wary, trying to keep their pets away from the piles of litter around the bins.
Anthony Weatherburn, 85, said: "Sometimes I have to carry my dog so he doesn't pick something up.
"It isn't just around the bins - which smell really bad - but along the paths and bridges too."
WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?
Andrew Dellbridge of Ace Pest Control has said that the habit of dropping litter or food in city parks and streets will only cause a hike in the number of rodents - including rats and gulls.
He said: "Leaving food and litter on the ground has a massive knock-on effect on local rodent populations.
"Bins are static and it becomes a problem when they aren't being emptied enough because rats will move to an area where they have a constant supply of food.
"Wensum Park particularly has a history of rat issues because people feed the ducks.
"This is a nightmare from a pest-control perspective as crumbs are dropped and rats will gather where people tend to feed ducks because they know there will be food left behind.
"My main message is that people should stop dropping litter in any city park or street, but the regular emptying and cleaning of bins will also help.
"From a control point of view, it is very hard once rats know they have a constant food supply as they will keep coming back.
"Parks can be a hotspot for rodents because of issues with the bins, people going for picnics and leaving crumbs on the floor and people feeding ducks.
"Ultimately, rats will keep coming back until society changes.
"People need to stop dropping litter before the issue can be corrected."
MORE BINS NEEDED IN PARKS
The issue has led to Green Party councillor Jamie Osborn calling on City Hall to add more bins to parks.
He said: "Anderson's Meadow is a popular place to spend summer days and evenings by the river.
"So it is a shame that it is so often spoiled by litter and the lack of nearby bins causing rubbish to spill over.
"Green councillors have been reporting this problem for years and have proposed additional bins nearby, or at least more regular emptying of the one bin there is in the summer months.
"Yet the litter problem has persisted and now it is attracting rats.
"It's a problem in other parks like Wensum Park too.
"The council has to get this sorted."
WHAT DOES CITY HALL SAY?
Norwich Clean Streets team said: "We work very hard to keep the city centre clean and tidy.
"We have invested in equipment including the purchase of new powered street sweeping equipment, that ensures we can do this efficiently.
"We have also purchased smaller waste collection vehicles to ease collection in our narrow historic streets.
"We monitor our performance regularly, and the cleanliness of the city centre has improved.
"We have a constant presence in the city centre during the day and we carry out routine inspections continuously.
"During the last two years, this has identified that the city centre is being cleaned to a very high standard, with over 95pc of streets found to be in a satisfactory condition.
"We respond immediately to any problems that we find in the city centre including fly-tipping and graffiti as well as litter and rubbish.
"We encourage visitors and residents to help keep the city centre clean by disposing of their litter responsibly, either by taking it with them or using the bins provided."
Concerning the issues in the city parks, the street team added: "We are aware that there can be issues with overflowing bins in Anderson’s Meadow and Wensum Park.
"This can be a particular issue in certain open spaces with access to the river which can prove very popular in good weather.
"We are reviewing the matter and may look at introducing more frequent collections if needed."
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