Town centre neighbours 'disgusted' by major rat problem

Neighbours in Windsor are aghast at a rat problem caused by bins in central Windsor, which they are calling a ‘major health hazard’ and a blight the busy tourist area.

Talking to the Express at the beginning of the year, resident Anna Cupola said the area at the back of the Guildhall is ‘disgusting’.

“There has been no collection of rubbish on Market Street for almost five weeks,” she said. “The lack of rubbish collection in central Windsor [is causing] a major problem with rats.”

“Now there are rats literally running around the bins. This is a major health hazard.”

A video seen by the Express shows a group of well-fed-looking rats – about seven or eight – enjoying a banquet pulled out of the gnawn-through bottom of a stuffed green bin bag.

Chris Lawrence, who also lives on Market Street, seconds these concerns.

He said there have been some ‘inconsistencies’ collecting rubbish that caused it to pile up six weeks prior to Christmas and the new year, worsening over the festive period.

“It’s quite alarming – you can see a great big mob of rats in broad daylight just running over the rubbish bag. It's pretty alarming, and maggots [in the rubbish],” he said. “It's absolutely disgusting, really awful.

“It’s very unhygienic – we all know rats carry a multitude of diseases transmissible to humans. And this is right at the back of the Guildhall, in a major tourist destination. Market Street is pretty close to the Castle.”

He said he contacted the environmental health team and received an answer only weeks later, asking for pictures, when he had already sent some.

Chris added that there also seemed to be a removal of some of the public-use bins in this area, which – given the concentration of food outlets in the area – is bad news.

“There used to be lots of bins for the tourists due to the volume of footfall that passes through Windsor, he said. “They did have quite a few bins, but about a month or so before Christmas, the original bins were removed.”

“There are takeaway businesses [around here], two or three coffee shops, then a number of restaurants – I think it's only natural that rubbish is going to build up.”

He said that he has not seen the problem this significant before, having lived in the area since 2018.

A spokesperson for RBWM said: “Pest control action is currently underway at this location, as we work with contractors, enforcement and local businesses to ensure that waste is managed safely, securely, and without harm to the environment to deter rats.

“This area is monitored and waste is collected regularly, including weekly food collection – no public bins have been removed in this location.

“In addition to pest control, we’ll continue to carry out enforcement to make sure that businesses are having their commercial waste collected appropriately here and across the borough and reviewing domestic waste arrangements.

“In the last six months we’ve issued 40 fixed penalty notices to businesses who’ve failed to responsibly manage their waste.”