Dad left with £350 car repair bill after rats attracted by filthy street chew through wires
Rats, attracted by fly-tipping left on Shenstone Road, chewed through parts on Hamza Ali's Ford Fiesta
A driver was left with a £350 repair bill after rats attracted to the filth on his Birmingham street chewed through wires under the bonnet.
Hamza Ali, 42, was amazed to find the rodent damage when he tried to find out why his Ford Fiesta would not start outside his home in Shenstone Road, Edgbaston.
When he looked under the bonnet, he was astonished to see teeth marks and parts gnawed away.
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A mechanic said the wiring had been eaten away by rats and it would cost £350 to get it fixed and back on the road.
Mr Ali said he was sure the vermin had been attracted to his street by piles of rubbish dumped on the road. The issue pre-dates the ongoing all-out bins strike and has been a longstanding issue for residents, he said.
He recorded the waste abandoned on a pavement in pictures and video and said the rodents would even go into his house.
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Mr Ali said: "I can't open the doors because big rats will come in, all the neighbours have been complaining.
"Many people stop their cars at night and dump rubbish.
"If the council sat there with cameras, they would see people dumping rubbish.
"I have argued with people two or three times and they say: 'It is not my problem' but it's my problem because it's outside my house - I can't fight everyone.
"They leave lots of food, bread.
"I want to move house but I do not have a choice."
City environment boss Coun Majid Mahmood said previously: "Those who dump waste on public or private land are environmental criminals, who are expecting people in our city to foot the bill for the disposal of their rubbish and unwanted items.
“There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, which shows no regard for the surroundings in which we all have to live and work.
"There are many legitimate ways to get rid of waste, including our household recycling centres which have plenty of capacity, and our mobile waste centres, so there is simply no excuse.
“We investigate incidents and do not hesitate to take enforcement action or prosecute offenders, as demonstrated in the past by many high-profile cases.
"If citizens wish to report flytipping or other street related issues, we encourage them to use their Brum Account as this is linked to our internal systems so we can investigate issues and action accordingly."