MAGGOT infestations are plaguing parts of the city - and the council’s controversial cuts to bin collections are being blamed.

Hoardes of the crawling critters have been reported to the Echo in three of the city’s suburbs this week.

Residents from one block of flats, in Redbridge, discovered a “sea of white maggots” spread across the floor of their communal area on Monday.

A grandmother in Bitterne woke up to find “thousands” of the flesh-eating creatures sprawled across her household waste bin earlier this week.

Another woman in Lordshill similarly found a pile of the “disgusting” critters in the bottom of her bin.

The finger of blame is being pointed towards Southampton City Council and its controversial decision to move to alternate weekly bin collections.

The move, which came into force in June, was announced as part of £42.3million savings package which was agreed by the council in February.

It will reportedly save the authority £800,000-a-year.

Under the scheme, household waste is now collected one week and recycling the next, instead of the previous schedule in which both bins were collected every week.

However experts say the change has contributed the spread of unwanted pests such as maggots and rats.

Conservative councillor Jeremy Moulton had previously warned of a “huge, adverse impact” following the decision.

Cllr Moulton said: “I think cutting the weekly bins is definitely contributing to this.

“If bins aren’t put out because people are away or forget it can be up to month before they are collected.”

Southampton City Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, councillor Jacqui Rayment, said a rise in maggot related incidents was common at this time of year.

She added that the authority had invested in officers to help people manage their waste and urged residents to follow the advice given by the council for storing their waste.

A council spokesperson added: “Our advice to residents is to be mindful of how they store food waste in their bins and compost food waste for their gardens if possible.

“If you do need to dispose of food waste ensure that it is bagged to prevent flies getting in or maggots getting out.

“Please avoid putting food waste loose into the bins.

“For more information and tips on managing your waste visit southampton.gov.uk/recycle.”

RESIDENTS' STORIES:

A SOUTHAMPTON mother was left feeling "afraid" to leave her own home after finding "20,000 maggots" scattered across the communal area of her flat block.

Natasha Defraeit, 29, spent hours clearing the creepy creatures alongside fellows residents from a block of flats in Colwell Close on Sunday night.

The infestation was so bad that her neighbour, Roxy Taylor, 25, called ex-partner Dave Kehoe over at 11pm to help deal with the critters.

He arrived at the council-run building to find what he described as a "sea of white maggots" crawling across the floor.

The group used four bottles of bleach mixed with boiled water to kill off the army of critters, which they believe came into the flats from a bin store at the back of the building.

Miss Defraeit, a mother-of-four, said: "It was just disgusting. I've never seen anything like it before.

"I needed to go the shops in the morning for baby milk but it left me afraid to leave my own home."

Miss Taylor, a mother-of-two, said that she sometimes gets fly infestations as her flat backs onto the bin area.

However she said that the most recent infestation was the "worst she's ever seen".

She added that she first discovered the infestation while showering her two-year-old son Harry.

The pair say the council's change to bin collections played a part in the recent plague of maggots.

They believe the council should offer a free bin cleaning scheme to compensate for the reduced collection service.

A BITTERNE grandmother was given a nasty surprise this week when she found "thousands of maggots" crawling across her unemptied bin.

Brenda Goddard was saying goodbye to her husband as he left for work on Monday morning when she saw what she thought were "snowflakes" on her household waste bin.

On close inspection, the 58-year-old she discovered they were actually thousands of white maggots.

The Langbar Close resident said: "I was shocked. It's disgusting.

"I just felt so unclean. I didn't want to touch the bin after."

Mrs Goddard, a grandmother-of-three, said she has never experienced anything like this before and blames the council's change to bin collections.

The retired supervisor for an electrical firm, added: "I grew up on a farm and I've never seen maggots like that before.

"Since the change to fortnightly bin collections it has been noticeable.

"It's usually only me in the house and I can fill a bin up in a week.

"Some of the houses in this road have families in them and they fill up quickly."

"It's unhygienic," she added.

TOP TIPS FOR ADVOIDING MAGGOTS:

5: Use thicker bin bags

4: Always tie your bin bags up

3: Don't let excess rubbish build up

2: Always clean out your bins

1: Keep your bin lids closed