I LIVE in Moat housing on the Millfields estate in Burnham.

Outside my front door is a ditch owned by the council, as is the pathway.

It is totally neglected and known locally as “Rat River”.

On many occasions a walk on the pathway during daylight hours you will see rats running around.

I believe this is now a matter of public health concern.

On Tuesday, July 2, I witnessed a binman throw many green bags (food waste) into the weeds alongside the ditch (Rat River).

I immediately phoned the council to report this fly-tipping.

The council should have searched in the weeds and found some of the evidence and prosecuted the contractor and ordered the area be cleared of weeds and contaminates so this could have been easily been verified. Instead the council phoned the contractor without any evidence except my report.

The contractor said he had a “rogue employee” he could not sack without proof.

At this point the council took on the role of the contractor’s human resources department by trying to find and identify the individual.

The contractor is responsible and paid by the council to do a job.

In the circumstances I will no longer supply a statement to the council for this witch-hunt.

Another resident witnessed a binman do the same thing on Wednesday, July 10 but does not want to be identified.

Our bins are collected on Tuesdays but on this occasion the green bins were left until Wednesday.

A resident in Park Road has photographic evidence before and after the collection, also proof this has been going on at least since June 4, but does not wish to be identified.

With weekly food deliveries it is small wonder the rat population is so big and strong.

Paul Dennison

Millfields, Burnham