In Birmingham, 17,000 tonnes of rubbish remains uncollected across the city. Residents have reported seeing rats on the streets, with some rodents the size of cats. Rubbish has not been collected due to an indefinite strike by Unite union members. They are in a long-running dispute after the scrapping of waste collection and recycling officer roles. Birmingham City Council says the daily blocking of depots by pickets has meant they cannot get vehicles out to collect rubbish, and declaring a major incident means they will increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tip removal, with an additional 35 vehicles and crews around the city. As the bin strike continues, The Independent asked residents in the UK’s second-largest city how the scores of bin bags piled high on the streets have affected their daily lives.