A woman has slammed the "disgusting mess" left on her street after finding a large dead rat on her doorstep.
Roxy Ruane bought her own home on Bartlett Street, Wavertree, in 2018 but it wasn't the dream life she thought it would be. Roxy has slammed the shameful mounds of rubbish thrown across the streets on several occasions as she urged people to respect where they live.
The ECHO has previously reported on Roxy's campaign for cleaner streets as she said residents in the community are "living in squalor". But she said the situation is a vicious cycle that is not improving.
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Now, she is calling for urgent action as she says the situation is "out of control". Just recently, she was walking to work one morning when she saw a large dead rat that she believes is due to rubbish being left.
She told the ECHO: "The council said they are doing communal bins and to report fly tipping to them and we managed to get signs on the black gates but it hasn't deterred people. People are still leaving rubbish and bins are overflowing.
"Bin bags and rubbish are being left next to bins which attracts vermin. There was a large dead rat outside my yard and it was decaying and had maggots on it.
"It's not fair on the families or kids or anyone. It's horrible and disgusting. My partner cleaning up a decaying rat has probably got to be the most disgusting thing he's ever done and it's not just that but it's hygiene, it will make people sick."
Roxy, who is now moving due to the issues, said there needs to be more of a deterrent as she added: "We report the rubbish and it gets removed the same day but we need fines in place. You hear these rats in the bath and the walls, everywhere, and not having a repercussion won't deter people.
"It's heart-breaking and infuriating. Students get the blame for it but it's not just them, it's families as well. It's not fair on other families who have to walk through this every day though and kids in this area are thinking it's normal and it's depressing."
The ECHO previously reported that Liverpool Council will consider cases of dumped waste and fly-tipping around the city as "crime scenes" in a major new crackdown. Dressed in crime scene tape, the highly visual approach is being used to highlight the cost and to remind residents they are breaking the law if they dump materials in public locations.
The council added it takes fly-tipping extremely seriously and it can be report it through the website or via community wardens in the area.
A council spokesperson said: "Fly-tipping in alleyways is searched on all occasions when it is found or where evidence is obvious.
"From Monday, July 3, the Council will be delivering the next stage of the communal bin programme in a zone next to this area, which will see 190 communal new Euro bins installed, serving around 880 residential properties
"This is funded through the Safer Streets programme, via the Merseyside Police Crime Commissioner, and we are working with other partners for similar funding opportunities which would pay for the bins and delivery in the Banner block.
"We anticipate that the area around Whitman/Banner/Bartlet and Bligh will be next in line later in the year. These measures should also help to address residents poor waste management practices."
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