A PREGNANT woman says she has been unable to open her windows due to fruit flies and maggots invading the filthy bins outside her home.

Elizabeth Layzell, from Benfleet, says the bins by her home in Manor Road are at times so full the lids won’t close.

Sharing three bins between 12 flats, the 38-year-old claims she is “living in dirt and infestations”, and has even forked out £60 from her own pocket to have the bins cleaned.

Ms Layzell, who moved to the property in February, said: “We are actually suffering.

“I myself am a few weeks pregnant and some living here have small babies. A lady is also pregnant with twins.

“Our bins are filthy and look like they’ve never been cleaned, they just feel all sticky and gunky.

“The whole of the summer we’ve had flies and maggots in our bins, we can’t even open our windows. As soon as you do they come flying in, it’s so disgusting.

“The lids won’t even close where they’re getting so full up, there’s just not enough room and we don’t have enough of them.

“It’s just been an absolute nightmare, even when I first moved in there was a massive hole around the boiler and I had no hot water or gas.”

Ms Layzell is now calling for urgent action to resolve the problem.

She continued: “Its not nice to bring the baby into.

“I am urging Castle Point Council to take action to give us more bins, to do a deep clean and to hire cleaners who will do this on a regular basis.

“I’d also like them to educate neighbours about the correct disposal of rubbish, stinking waste is dumped under and in the bins without even being put in bin bags.

“There are couples here, families, people with children. So it is a worry.”

However, Castle Point Council have insisted the problem is being dealt with.

A spokesman said: “Ms Layzell is a council tenant. The council does not comment on tenancy matters. The matters raised by the tenant are being addressed and the tenant is aware of this.”

Councillor Nikki Drogman, representing St Peter’s ward, added: “I have spoken with Ms Layzell and reported her complaint to the council’s housing service. I have discussed this at length with one of our senior officers, and I am pleased that arrangements are being made to address the issues.”