A 91-year-old woman who has not had her green bin collected in 11 weeks is "worried rats will get in" as delays roll into a third month in Sefton.
Jean Wright has lived in the same house on Grosvenor road Maghull for over 60 years and since her husband died in 2020 has lived alone. Jean found mice in her garage last month and coupled with the continuing bin delays her daughter-in-law Jan said she has been "worried sick" that rats will be the next unwanted visitor into her home.
Jean has recently been diagnosed with two forms of cancer and Jan said her mother-in-law's bins have been left "stinking to high heaven" and can be smelt "from space".
READ MORE : Council sends message to nine Merseyside areas over bin collections delays
Speaking to the ECHO Jan said: "She is not coping very well she has got two forms of cancer and is having treatment for both of those. She is 91 and a widow she doesn't need all this extra stress or uncertainty and she is worried sick that the rats will get into her garage if they do come into the neighbourhood."
"She feels really frustrated we have been cutting the grass for her and we have had to bring some of the rubbish home with us as there was no room left in the bin. We live in Bury so we are quite far away."
Jan said that her mother-in-law rarely leaves the house due to her health problems and that gardening was one of her favourite pastimes that she shared with her late husband Colin. Jan said: "She is loathe to do anything in the garden she wants us to do all the weeding.
"But what can you do when nothing is being emptied it has been a pastime of hers and my father-in-law. When he was alive his garden looked like a bowling green.
"I think with the weather being nice and warm she would love to go and sit in the garden but what is bothering her is if rats are going to find their way into the neighbourhood. I'm not sure what rats are drawn to but I'm pretty sure they could smell the bins from outer space."
Delays have plagued the borough since April and Sefton Council has attributed the problems to "operational issues" and "staff shortages" due to a covid outbreak among the staff. Asking residents to leave their bins out on the street in anticipation of collection.
Jan, 63, said: "She has been through a hell of a lot and it is just a constant thing at the back of her mind like an itch that can't be scratched. Why can't they empty the bins it is all just too much for her and she can't chase it up herself all she does is sit and knit because it takes her mind off everything it's a stress that she does not need."
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “We would like to assure residents that we are making progress in clearing the backlog of green bins thanks to the huge efforts being made by our collection teams and the extra resources we have made available.
“We know that while some areas will have now received collection of their green bin, others may still be awaiting collection, but we are working on clearing this backlog as quickly as we can. Our Sefton Waste Collection Crews will be working through the backlog of green bins commencing from Saturday June 18 and regularly scheduled green bin collections will take place from Monday June 20 onwards.
"We would like to thank people in Sefton who have been incredibly patient throughout these operational difficulties and ask them to continue to leave their bin presented for collection.”
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