Residents in a block of flats say they fear a serious rat problem if issues with bin collections aren’t fixed soon.

Since Maidstone council’s new refuse contractors, Suez, took over the waste management from Biffa at the end of March, many areas have reported weeks going by without their rubbish being collected.

After promises that the firm would allocate extra staff to clear the backlog, some areas have seen an improvement, but others are still suffering.

Brian Beswick has been a resident at Bluecoats Yard in Knightrider Street, Maidstone, since December 2022.

He said: “We live in a block of 24 flats where all our general waste goes into two large blue bins.

“Biffa used to empty them twice a week, but since Suez took over we have experienced major problems.

“Our last empty was on April 5, but the wheels of one of the bins were damaged in the process and Suez has turned that bin upside down, making it unusable.

“A replacement was promised, but no delivery date was unspecified.

“Meanwhile, we are down to one bin and the rubbish is already spewing out. Pretty soon we are going to have a serious rat problem.

“Checking the borough’s website for ‘My Bin Day' does not show a new collection date or frequency of collection.

“But my calls to MBC suggest that the new frequency of collection will be fortnightly.

“Our bin store is now piling high with black bags.”

On Tuesday, the flats, which share eight green recycling bins, did enjoy a recycling collection.

Mr Beswick said: “Seven of our eight green bins were emptied. This was a nice surprise as 'My Bin Day' had us down for collection three days later, on April 26.

“However, the crew left seven bins, which had been neatly aligned against the wall, piled around the bin store entrance. And the eighth bin was not emptied at all.”

”I did try to call the MBC helpline, but they are closed for training.”

Suez Recycling and Recovery UK took over the £152 million contract to empty bins in Swale, Maidstone and Ashford on March 25.

All three areas were immediately plagued by collection problems causing the company’s general manager Vinnie Masseri to apologise, saying: “This isn’t the standard of service we aim to provide.”

A fed-up resident of Sittingbourne paid to have his waste removed privately, due to the problems, while a Faversham couple have cancelled their council tax payments in a stand over their bin issues.

Maidstone council has been asked for comment.

Critics have nicknamed the botched collections the “Suez Crisis” after the 1956 invasion of Egypt by British, French and Israeli troops that ended in a humiliating withdrawal after only a few days.