6 h. ago Labour councillors in Birmingham enjoyed free trips to the ballet, Champions League football and fine dining

Deputy leader Sharon Thompson was given a £300 ticket by Brindley Capital, an investment firm, to watch Aston Villa beat Celtic in the Champions League the evening before a strike.

Sport

13 h. ago Rayner to meet with Birmingham council leaders as bin strikes continue

The city council declared a major incident on Monday March 31 because of the impact of the strike by members of the Unite union.

Politics

16 h. ago ‘We’re not a third world country, we’re England’: anger rises as Birmingham’s bin strike takes toll on locals

With the city’s refuse collectors still on the picket line after four weeks, residents are pointing the finger of blame at the council Suhail Sadiq’s car repair business is thriving and he’s furious about it.The rats are responsible. “The amount of cars we’ve got coming in now with wiring chewed up by rats is unbelievable,” he says. Staff at Heartlands Auto Centre in Birmingham have repaired about 15 cars with chewed battery cables in the past week. The rats are drawn to the warmer cars at night, he says – rats gnaw to keep their teeth a manageable length. Continue reading...

Events

37 h. ago ‘This is ideal for them’: business is booming for Birmingham’s ‘rat king’

The Guardian joins a pest controller on the city’s streets as residents fear a rise in rodents during bin workers’ strikes“They’re not fussy,” said Martin Curry, describing the far from epicurean appetites of the scurrying rodents that the residents of Birmingham fear could flood the streets of their city.“Rats all have their own personal tastes but if food is scarce they’ll eat anything,” he said. Curry, who has been called the “rat king” locally, runs MC Environmental Pest Control. He has been on the frontline of stamping out the rodent threat amid a weeks-long bin strike that has caused bins to pile up on Birmingham’s streets. Continue reading...

Economics

39 h. ago Union dismisses Starmer's desperate plea to 'get round the table' and end Birmingham bin strike crisis as fury mounts at Labour council

Amid mounting fury at the Labour-run council over the chaos, with rubbish piling up and rats running riot on the city's streets, No10 urged Unite to negotiate 'in good faith'.

Events

39 h. ago Birmingham bin strike: Residents say getting slot at tip like ‘winning lottery’

In some areas, communities are stepping in when they see people dumping rubbish on the streets.

Events

44 h. ago Rats in Birmingham running riot along 'super highway' under rubbish in their 'millions'

An estimated 17,000 tones of waste has piled up across Birmingham following the bin strikes - residents have complained of horrendous smells in the city and rats 'the size of cats'

Politics

45 h. ago Birmingham bins boss provides update on when mountains of rubbish could be cleared

All-out strike ongoing for weeks means 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected across city

Politics

47 h. ago Thought Birmingham's bin strike was bad? How 1975 Glasgow walkout saw 70,000 tonnes of rubbish fester in the streets...before the Army were called in

In 1975, a mass walkout by binmen in a row over pay crippled Glasgow. In January of that year, around 350 workers began an unofficial strike that lasted more than three months.

Events

65 h. ago Minister visits Birmingham amid calls for Government to intervene in bin strike

Local government minister Jim McMahon will meet council chiefs in an effort to end the strike, which has seen tonnes of rubbish piling up.

Politics

65 h. ago ‘Rats the size of my arm’: Horrified Birmingham residents plead for end to bin strikes

In Birmingham, 17,000 tonnes of rubbish remains uncollected across the city.

Events

3 d. ago Union boss tells Angela Rayner ‘government can’t sit on hands’ over Birmingham bin strike row

Leaked letter reveals Unite's Sharon Graham told Deputy PM: 'Let me be very clear that the pay of these workers is being cut by a Labour Council under your watch.'

Politics

4 d. ago How Birmingham bin strike's buried the city in 17,000 tons of rubbish, unleashed huge rats and a disgusting stench... as tempers flare: ROBERT HARDMAN

The children are just a few feet away. I can hear them on the other side of the fence. They must be able to smell it: a mountain of leaking bin bags, foul-smelling waste sacks and suppurating wheelie-bins

Events

4 d. ago Birmingham bin strike: Rats seen roaming freely as waste piles up in hot weather

Rats are roaming freely with an average of 10 rodents spotted per hour on Birmingham streets as rubbish piles grow larger and residents are now losing patience with the striking workers

Events

5 d. ago Government accused of ‘washing its hands’ of Birmingham bin strike problem

MPs also heard a resident of the Edgbaston area of the city claimed to have been ‘bitten by a rat’.

Politics

5 d. ago Birmingham declares major incident over bin strike as MP says resident 'bitten by rat'

Council estimates 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected around the city

Events

5 d. ago Birmingham City Council declares major incident over bin strike: Chaos as 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected as picket lines block rubbish trucks at depots

Members of the Unite union in Birmingham are holding an all-out strike which has led to rubbish piling up in the streets.

Events

5 d. ago Major incident declared over bin strike as 17,000 tonnes of waste left to rot

The all-out strike has led to rubbish piling up in the streets and residents complaining about rats

Events

5 d. ago Birmingham City Council declares major incident as bin strike continues

The council says bin lorries are being prevented by picket lines from leaving waste depots.

Events

5 d. ago Birmingham bin strike escalates as council declares major incident

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

Events