IT started as a row over two sacks of rubbish and has developed into a mountain of mess.

Residents at a block of flats in Hampshire have been left fuming because binmen have been refusing to take away their rubbish for almost a month.

The bin store at the new apartments has become swamped with smelly rubbish sacks after collectors said they wouldn’t clear the waste.

Problems began when two bags were left on top of one of the ten wheelie bins in the store of the block of 16 flats, in Alexander Square, Eastleigh.

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According to strict health and safety rules, binmen are prevented from picking up sacks of rubbish that aren’t inside the plastic bins.

As a result none of the bins were emptied and now the problem has escalated into a mountain of waste, with dozens of bags left in the store, leading to sightings of rats rustling through the rubbish.

The separate recycling wheelie bins have also been left uncollected, which the council says is because of “serious contamination” with nonrecyclables.

They claim that more than two bags were originally left on top of the bins, preventing binmen collecting the rubbish. They are now locked in dispute with residents over who should clear the rubbish that has built up.

Many of the ten flats are occupied by parents with y o u n g babies, who say they have no alternative but to leave their household waste in the bin shed.

“It’s horrifying,” said James Patey, who lives on the third floor with his wife and five-year-old son.

“We don’t know what to do. There’s one girl who has to get someone else to take her rubbish down there now because she’s so scared of the rats.”

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