WINCHESTER City Council has finally cleared a pile of rubbish which had been lying on a city-centre street for over a month.

Residents of 4 Lower Brook Street told the Chronicle the mess attracted foxes, rats and maggots, and that the city council had not responded to their calls to remove it.

The day we were contacted about the issue, we published an article – the mess was cleared on the same day, September 5.

Winchester City Council then replied to our questions about why the mess had not been cleared for so long, considering it had become a potential health risk.

READ MORE: Winchester street plagued by vermin at huge rubbish pile

The city council said they could not take the rubbish away because it was "un-recyclable" (Image: Sebastian Haw)

A council spokesperson said: “The recycling bin had been filled with waste that was not recycling. This meant it could not be collected as it would result in everything in the recycling vehicle becoming contaminated and therefore un-recyclable. 

“Council officers had to sort through the bins, removing waste and placing it in bags outside the bins for a separate collection. This was done to make sure residents could continue to use the bin. We're sorry for the delay but these have now been collected and the area is clear.

“We actively encourage people to ensure that the correct waste is added to the correct bin to ensure collections can take place and that we're recycling as much as possible.”

This does not explain the council's failure to remove the rubbish that was in the bins dedicated to normal refuse, as well as the rubbish which had piled up on the street.