A major incident has been declared by Birmingham City Council over the ongoing bin strike, which has left 17,000 tonnes of waste on the streets. Leader John Cotton said it was in response to concerns for public health as the authority struggles to clear the rubbish, which has led to the issue being raised in Parliament.

Birmingham City Council has declared a major incident due to the bin strike under way, which has left an estimated 17,000 tonnes of waste on the streets.Rubbish has been piling up across the city since Unite the Union workers walked out on 11 March in a row over pay.

Striking city bin men have been slow-walking in front of trucks this morning as the city faces a "public health emergency" as part of the ongoing all-out strikes. A major incident was declared by Birmingham City Council on Monday evening, March 31, after so much rubbish piled up on the streets that it became 'unsafe'.