A Solihull resident has raised concerns after claiming a suspected rat or other animal has chewed through the lid of her new food waste caddy just days after the borough’s new collection service launched.
The resident said the damage happened after her first food waste collection, despite her taking steps to secure the bin.
She said: “Just thought I’d send this photo in which shows that a rat/animal of some sort has already chewed its way into the food waste bin!
“It has been out since Tuesday after my first collection - I bag the food up and lock the lid but they’ve still managed to get into it!”
She said she contacted Solihull Council about the damaged caddy and was told a replacement would be sent within 15 days.
But she questioned what residents are supposed to do while waiting for a new bin.
“What am I supposed to do till then? When they now have easy access,” she said.
The resident said she had told the council she would instead put food waste in her black bin as she had done previously.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” she added.
She also said her neighbour had experienced a similar problem and questioned whether other Solihull residents could be facing the same issue.
“I would just like to get this point highlighted and see how many other residents are having the same problem so early on,” she said.
She added: “But I’m certainly not calling up for a new bin every week.”
Solihull Council introduced weekly food waste collections across the borough on Monday, October 5, as part of changes to household waste collections.
The cause of the damage has not been confirmed and it is not known whether a rat was responsible.
Residents with damaged food waste caddies can report the issue to Solihull council.
