FRUSTRATED residents told how their streets have become infested with rats after being littered with rubbish bags, old furniture and even needles.

A flytipping “epidemic” is said to have taken over the Westborough ward, in Westcliff. Piles of rubbish have mounted up for months, with calls for Southend Council and its waste contractor Veolia to take action.

Simon Pogue, of Hainault Avenue, Westcliff, said: “I have been contacting the council since moving to Westcliff about six months ago.

“I’m now beginning to think that I am wasting my time. I have been reporting rubbish, needles and flytipping in my road.

“The road is a complete mess and I’m continually told it will be logged and someone will come out and clear the rubbish but this just doesn’t happen.

“Every Wednesday the road is at its worst as that’s our refuse collection day. There is now a problem with rats in the street and two were even lying dead at the top of the road.

“I pay my council tax every month and if some of this for street cleaning and refuse collection then my money is being stolen.”

The Westborough Community Association carried out annual street cleaning sessions.

Chairman Julie Farrow has called on members of the community to take more responsibility. She said: “It has become a bit of an epidemic at the moment. There seems to have been an outbreak.

“It does happen every year because a lot of people move house at this time so things get dumped in the street.

“All people have to do is stick a pair of rubber gloves on and spend a bit of time shoving things in a black bin bag, but they would rather complain and do nothing.

“This isn’t about Veolia. They are not there to clear up flytipping.

“If you have a three-piece suite or a fridge, you should pay to have it removed.

“I won’t say a bad word about the council because last year they really went above and beyond, removing sofas and old furniture from the streets.

“There just isn’t a community in Westborough and we feel like we’re wasting our breath. People should be taking pride in their streets and helping to keep them clean.”

Tony Cox, Tory councillor for transport, waste and cleansing, said: “The council does have a role to play in removing waste and rubbish that gets dumped, but a big problem is the lack of civic pride that residents have.

“Surely people shouldn’t want to live like that, but it still happens despite us having a record number of bins in the area.”