Residents fed up with the stench from rotting rubbish left on the streets are calling for action from the council.

Bags stuffed with overflowing household waste have been regularly left by homeowners and business people in Kingston Road, South Wimbledon over the last year according to neighbours.

Merton Council said a six month long pilot scheme with daily patrols is in its fourth month and up to 100 reminder notices were due to be issued to neighbours this week.

One of the Kingston Road residents, Gareth Ruddy, is moving house as he is fed up of the sight of overflowing bins on his doorstep.

At a council meeting on Wednesday, February 5, Quicks Road resident Peter Smith asked why council officers were not prepared to take enforcement action against those responsible for leaving rubbish bags on the streets.

The council replied to say that they would be issuing fixed penalty notices to people who dump their rubbish on the street on days other than waste collection days.

Mr Smith said: "In September the council cut back from twice weekly to once weekly collections.

"As a result, people kept doing what they did previously because they don't have external bins.

"Residents can't store waste in their flats so they are putting it on the road."

Homeowner Mr Ruddy, 33, said he has been forced to move house because of continuing problems with a lack of waste collection.

Mr Ruddy said: "I just want to get out of here.

"We are living on a tip.

"I have to accept that outside my front door people put their waste and I can't do anything about it."

Mr Ruddy said he has contacted the council, but 50 emails and dozens of phone calls remained unanswered.

Cabinet member for environmental cleanliness and parking, Councillor Judy Saunders, said: "We know how important having a clean borough is to our residents and we appreciate that, in areas where there are businesses and residential properties, there can often be a build up of rubbish on the streets outside.

"This is something we are tackling with our new timed collection scheme, which has been very successful in other parts of Wimbledon, including the very busy Wimbledon Broadway."

Kingston Road has three different days for waste collection by the council. Rubbish, recycling and food waste is collected between Tuesday and Thursday.

For information on waste collection visit the council website.