Residents in Hillingdon, particularly around Heathrow in Hayes and Harlington, say they are at breaking point due to persistent fly-tipping that has attracted rats and mice. Minreet Kaur, a local woman, has been contacting Hillingdon Council since January 2026 about daily rubbish dumping on streets including Craneswater, Bath Road, Cranford Lane, Eton Avenue, and Langley Crescent. She claims the problem is driving her family to consider moving out of the borough.
Residents report rodent infestations and daily rubbish
Kaur told MyLondon: "This is affecting my parents. We have rats and mice running around, and our neighbours have heard them too. My mum is at breaking point and she cries. We are now looking to move but can't afford to. It's getting worse, and our council tax is going up, but nothing gets done about it." She added that she has tweeted and emailed the council multiple times about the issue.
For the 2026/27 financial year, Hillingdon Council increased council tax by 4.99 per cent. Nationally, over 1.25 million fly-tipping incidents were logged in 2024/25, equating to one incident every 25 seconds, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Incidents have increased by 9 per cent year-on-year, with eight of the worst areas in London.
Council explains legitimate waste collection points
Hillingdon Council responded that some of the waste seen on these streets is legitimately left at designated collection points because refuse vehicles cannot access all parts of the roads. A council spokesperson said: "We take environmental crime extremely seriously and are determined to crack down on those who blight our neighbourhoods by illegally dumping waste. This location presents particular operational challenges because refuse vehicles cannot safely access all parts of the cul-de-sac. As a result, some residents have been asked to leave their household waste at a designated collection point on scheduled collection days."
The council added that it has taken enforcement action, installed CCTV, and conducted twice-weekly street cleansing. Reports of rats were investigated with no evidence of a wider rodent problem found. The council stated: "We will continue to use every enforcement tool available to identify and take action against those responsible for environmental crime, while working with residents to keep the area clean and safe."
