Disgusted residents living in Labour-run cities besieged by hordes of giant rats have told how they lives have been transformed into a living hell. Pictured: Local resident Russell Hawkes with rubbish on the street on Grove Cottage Road, Small Heath, Birmingham

Homeowners say they have been left ‘scared stiff’ by out-of-control infestations which have exploded under the leadership of Labour. Pictured: Mazar Dad next to rubbish on the street in Court Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham

Parents have been left too scared to let their young children stay in their rat-infested home, while one terrified pensioner fled her home over fears their pet would be killed by hungry feral mega rodents. Pictured: Rubbish on the street in Cherrywood Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham

Another furious pensioner living in the block of flats was so appalled at the state of it, he has now refused to pay his council tax until the left-wing authority sorts it out.

Elsewhere in a separate block of flats, a single parent has had to give up time with his children as it’s unsafe for them to stay the night due to the rat explosion.

Rodent expert Sean Whelan, who runs HPC247 Whelan Pest Control in Southampton, warned the city’s rodent crisis was the worst he had seen in three decades.

‘I have never seen so many rats on the streets of Southampton’, he said, adding infestations had ballooned 30 per cent, year on year, in some areas of the city.

He said the terrifying boom had been caused by houses of multiple occupation – known as HMOs – which have been left with overflowing bins, people feeding birds in the parks, and a lack of council funding for waste services.

One badly affected property is a council-managed block of flats for pensioners, most of whom are disabled, where a neglected apartment has allowed the rats to run riot throughout the site.

In Birmingham locals fear giant rats the size of small cats could smash into their homes after streets were transformed into tip (stock image)

Neighbourhoods in the ‘bankrupt’ city have been littered with festering mounds of fly-tipped waste, with rats now feared to be taking advantage of the stinking piles of trash to breed. Pictured: Shazad Nazam next to rubbish on the street on Edward Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham

The nightmare has only been made worse by on-going strike action by the city’s refuse workers, which look set to deepen this year. Pictured: Rubbish on the street in Court Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham

Terry Brampton, who now owes £1,500 in council tax, said residents are ‘scared stiff’ and he refuses to pay until the problem is sorted.

The 71-year-old added one elderly woman had to move in with a friend to protect her 12-week-old puppy from the rodents.

A defiant Mr Brampton said: ‘I refuse to it pay because nothing’s been done, I’m facing a court order.

‘Why should I pay for something that’s not been done?

‘She’s scared stiff of going into her own kitchen. I’ve had two rats in my kitchen, she’s had two.

‘We’ve got to slam the doors shut so hard to make sure they don’t get to us when they come out at night.’

Mr Brampton has also been forced to sleep on a sofa bed because the scurrying is too loud in his room.

Meanwhile in Southampton, the Labour-run Hampshire city is facing its worst rodent epidemic in 30 years. Pictured: Fullerton Place, Southampton

Diabetic Frank Elford and 79-year-old Roger Smith, who also live in the building, echoed Mr Brampton’s comments and said the council are slow to deal with issues.

Even when the council’s pest control officer did attend, the cowardly official refused to enter the flat at the centre of the infestation because of how many there were, residents said.

In another part of the city rats have terrorised a building, run by housing association Abri, after finding their way into the bin store, causing residents sleepless nights and leaving some with no option but to move.

Julie Hanies, 60 – a who has lived in the flats for 14-years – said: ‘We are all leaving in fear that the rats are going to scratch through the walls and get into our flats.

‘I’m not sleeping – all we can hear is rats scratching and scraping at the walls.

‘I walked into the bins store a few months back and saw six rats at one time.

‘It’s a huge health and safety risk and Abri have done nothing to help us.’

A parent living in the same building said the noise was keeping their children up at night and they’d had to say they couldn’t stay over any more.

They said: ‘It keeps my little girls up during the night which is no good when I want them to be well rested for school.

‘Most of us are at our wits end – I have had to tell my children’s mum that they cannot spend the night here with me.’

Rats are now reportedly running riot in people’s kitchens and bedrooms, leaving pest controllers struggling to get a grip of the infestation. Pictured: Rats have found their way into the walls of the building at Fullerton Place, Southampton

Someone else, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Its like we are living in slums – I have been prescribed medication and sleeping tablets as a result of everything going on here. I jump out of my skin every time I hear a scratch.

‘I am moving away from here – I can’t take living like this.’

In Birmingham, residents have faced a similar hellish nightmare following on-going industrial action by the city’s refuse workers.

Rubbish collectors have walked out on seven dates so far and have scheduled in at least 24 other days in response to fears of wide-scale pay cuts.

And the impact of the strikes can already be seen in several areas of the city – including Balsall Heath and Small Heath.

Locals there say recycling collection is often ignored and businesses in the area haven’t had a waste collection in three weeks.

Rubbish overflows from bins on Grove Cottage Road, Small Heath, Birmingham

As a result, rotting litter and overflowing bin liners attract huge rats, while stray cats and foxes tear open bags in search of food.

Photographs also show household waste dumped in giant piles by the roadside including bits of old furniture and cupboard doors.

Local resident Matei Ciobanu, 24, said: ‘I have a new baby and I fear for her health around here. It’s grim.

‘People are using it like a dump and the rats you see, some of them are enormous., just huge. They need to come to an agreement and clean this up.’

Mazar Dad, 56, who works for the charity Mecc Trust, said rubbish mountains have began to form outside his office block in Balsall Heath.

The father-of-three said: ‘There’s rubbish everywhere outside on the streets.

‘The main shopping area down the road has massive build ups too, massive bags on the front.

‘This is not usual, it’s all because of the strikes. There aren’t any collections to clear it all up.

‘There’s a pile of rubbish developing and becoming a mountain.

Rubbish on the street in Cherrywood Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham

It comes after Birmingham City Council declared itself effectively bankrupt last year, partly because of cases brought by two trade unions. In this image rubbish overflows from bins on Grove Cottage Road, Small Heath, Birmingham

‘Normally our bin men are fantastic and leave the streets spotless. But now it’s starting to smell, the stench is ridiculous. People come in and say how bad it is.

‘This is only two weeks old, and this is the state of affairs already. I dread to think how bad it could get.’

The dispute was sparked after the council’s decision to scrap the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role, resulting in pay cuts of up £8,000 for 150 workers.

It comes after Birmingham City Council declared itself effectively bankrupt last year, partly because of cases brought by two trade unions.

Liabilities covering around 6,000 workers had been estimated at £760million, but the final deal is reported to be significantly lower at between £300million-£400million.

there seems little chance of local residents being spared more pain. Council tax is due to rise by 9.99 per cent for the second year running in April, while deep cuts are being made to services. Now strikes are planned up until April 4 with 31 action dates scheduled in so far. Pictured: Rubbish on the street in Cherrywood Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham

Pharmacy manager Shazad Nazam, 47, says rats run freely and bin men leave the area’s recycling collections. Here rubbish can be seen on Bordesley Green, Birmingham

However, there seems little chance of local residents being spared more pain. Council tax is due to rise by 9.99 per cent for the second year running in April, while deep cuts are being made to services.

Now strikes are planned up until April 4 with 31 action dates scheduled in so far.

Pharmacy manager Shazad Nazam, 47, says rats run freely and bin men leave the area’s recycling collections.

The father-of-three said: ‘The streets aren’t cleaned like they used to be. The rubbish collection is poor but it’s been worse recently. It’s terrible.

‘It’s the third week where they haven’t come. We’ve got a mountain of cardboard outside our shop. They usually come out and sort it.

‘It’s quite busy and a populated street, everyone knows each other, but it is getting worse.’

Pharmacy manager Shazad Nazam, 47, says rats run freely and bin men leave the area’s recycling collections. Pictured: litter on Grove Cottage Road

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘There is no justification for such huge pay cuts to workers’ wages.

‘Birmingham council cannot just ignore this situation and hope that it will go away.

‘It is a line in the sand for our members, who know more attacks will follow if they don’t fight back. Unite is with them 100 per cent.’

A Southampton City Council spokesman said: ‘We are investigating a reported pest infestation in one of our homes.

‘This has been complicated due to legal factors that restrict our ability to access, assess and treat any signs of pest infestations, and repair any damage to the interior of the property.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘There is no justification for such huge pay cuts to workers’ wages. ‘Birmingham council cannot just ignore this situation and hope that it will go away’. Pictured: Rubbish bins near Cherrywood Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham

‘However, a pest control team has visited to check all external areas and lofts. We appreciate this is a frustrating and distressing situation but would like to assure our tenants we are doing everything possible to find a successful resolution.’

Kerri Hargreaves, Abri regional assistant director of housing which runs one of the affected buildings said: ‘We are aware of a pest issue impacting this area of the city, and as a result, have a long-standing proactive contract in place with our pest control contractor to carry out six-weekly visits and baiting.

‘Our estate services team also regularly remove excess waste in the bin store and clean the surrounding area to reduce sources that may be attracting pests.

‘Over the winter, we understand that the pest issue has got worse.

‘We will continue working with our customers, and Southampton City Council, to ensure the rubbish is correctly disposed of and the area remains clean to prevent pests from returning.’

Birmingham City Council was approached for comment.