Labour MP Tahir Ali (pictured in PMQs) backed calls for a new airport to be built in Kashmir

Tahir Ali, the MP for Birmingham , has come under fire for backing a campaign for the new airport in another country

But Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick replied scathingly: ‘You’re an MP for Birmingham, not Mirpur’

One expert warned that ‘rotting food is an absolute banquet’ as the city’s rat population surges

Bin strikes in Birmingham have wrecked havoc in the city, with residents complaining of rats and mountains of rubbish.

One waste collection lorry was filmed as residents overwhelmed by desperate residents laden with bin bags.

The lorry was besieged by so many people as it attempted to clear piles of rotting waste in the affluent Mosely suburb that a local councillor resorted to calling police.

West Midlands Police said two people have been arrested in connection to the ongoing industrial action, which escalated from a series of one-day walk outs to an all-out strike.

A week on from the strike, and a mobile collection – a bin lorry in a static location allowing residents whose bins aren’t being collected to drop their rubbish off – triggered what one observer called a ‘binmageddon’.

Citizens turned up in cars filled with black bags of rubbish which they were desperate to dispose of.

The BBC reported that people were seen rushing down the streets to the wagon carrying multiple bags.

Ongoing strikes by refuse collectors have reportedly led to rats becoming the size of cats

People were seen running down the middle of the road with their wheelie bins or following the lorry in their cars to unload their rubbish

Out of harm’s way: The rats are so large they pose too much of a challenge even for cats

Others were seen running down the middle of the road with their wheelie bins, desperate to unload them.

Cars loaded with rubbish were seen parked in the neighbourhood as police yelled at people not to dump their rubbish in the street.

Officers called the collection off early as tempers flared and the lorry reached capacity.

The rat infestation has become so bad the rodents have been dubbed the Squeaky Blinders because they appear to have the city in their grip – much like the Peaky Blinders gang of the late nineteenth century which inspired the BBC drama series of the same name.

The Unite union says its members face pay cuts after the scrapping of waste collection and recycling officer roles. But Labour-run Birmingham City Council says its offer is ‘fair and reasonable’.

Birmingham City Council has said the ‘escalation’ of industrial action will mean greater disruption to residents despite a ‘fair and reasonable offer’ made to Unite members.

The council also disputes Unite’s claims that 150 workers could lose £8,000 per year in pay, and insists plans to restructure the service are a crucial part of the authority’s efforts to become financially sustainable.

Citizens turned up in cars filled with black bags of rubbish they were desperate to dispose of

The lorry was besieged by so many people as it attempted to clear rotting waste in Mosely  that a local councillor resorted to calling police

The extraordinary scenes unfolded on the streets of Birmingham when the lorry was spotted

In September 2023 the council effectively declared itself bankrupt after facing a £760m equal pay bill and an £80m overspend on an IT project, triggering a restructuring as it attempts to save £300m over two years.

Last month the struggling local authority outlined plans to cut £148 million from its budget for this year – with an axe being taken to adult and social care and children and families services – while residents’ council tax bills will rise by 7.5 per cent next month.

Pest control experts have warned the build-up of refuse caused by a bin collection strike poses a huge public health danger.

Unite has warned bin disruption in the city could stretch into the summer after refuse workers voted in favour of extending their strike mandate over the council’s use of temporary labour to ‘undermine’ their industrial action.