Lewisham Council has said its refuse and recycling collections have been delayed recently as a result of positive Covid tests and self-isolation.

Thousands of people across London have been forced to self-isolate in recent weeks as a result of what has become known as the “pingdemic”.

Though decreasing in south east London boroughs, case rates are still high and are affecting businesses and services right across the UK.

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, has suffered from vermin and a “bad stench” around his home in New Cross after bins were not collected, rubbish piled up and fly-tipping increased over the past six weeks.

He told the News Shopper: “Rubbish has just been dumped by a number of residents that live around my area because there’s no adequate refuge bin for them to use.

“The bins get full very quickly and then when they overspill the bin collectors don’t touch them.

“People then come and fly-tip and it’s very off-putting knowing that I pay council tax but I still have to walk past it and live next to it every day.”

He has called on the council to provide “industrial-sized” bins to ensure this doesn’t keep happening.

News Shopper: Lewisham Council has said it is "working towards resolving any remaining issues"Lewisham Council has said it is "working towards resolving any remaining issues"

He added: “It’s been like this for six weeks this time but it’s always like this.

“Some rubbish was picked up – but only the rubbish that is in actual bins or that is accessible.

“This community needs industrial sized bins to serve everyone as people drag their bins to the top of my road, right next to my house, and then can’t be bothered to take them back down so just pile up rubbish outside my gate.

“There's even been a matrress there and it just keeps piling up if the bins aren’t collected.

“There’s a bad stench, mice are visible and I caught a big dead rat in my garden some time ago as well.

“There are just not enough bins.”

The resident said he had complained initially around three weeks ago to Lewisham Council but that nothing had been done until this week.

News Shopper: The New Cross resident says he has seen an increase in fly-tipping since the bins have been leftThe New Cross resident says he has seen an increase in fly-tipping since the bins have been left

A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said: “We strongly condemn the fly-tipping in New Cross.

“Our refuse teams have removed the rubbish from this site and we have also removed the bins, which were not supposed to be there which may have attracted the fly tipping.

“Like many other boroughs, our refuse and recycling collections have been delayed recently due to a number of staff testing positive for COVID-19 or needing to self-isolate, and we are working towards resolving any remaining issues.”

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