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Departing students 'dumping rubbish'

Coventry University is being urged to do more to tackle rubbish left by students

End-of-term students leaving their homes have been accused of leaving behind piles of debris and rubbish.

Residents in Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester and Leeds have complained about streets being turned into "dumping grounds" when students depart.

Fire crews in Birmingham say the fly-tipping is a hazard - one resident in Selly Oak, a suburb popular with students, said it happened every year.

A Coventry councillor said she wanted the city's university to do more.

Jayne Innes said she would be pushing for the university "to be the first point of contact when there's a problem".

"They need to be making the first approach to the students that are causing these types of problems," the Labour councillor said.

The university said it received very few complaints about waste-related issues but if any arose, they should be taken to the city council and, where appropriate, the police.

"Depending on the outcome of the investigation by these bodies, students may be subject to the university's disciplinary proceedings," a spokesman said.

The university has produced guidance to students on waste and recycling and has also linked up with the British Heart Foundation to provide clothing banks to encourage students to donate unwanted items.

Neil Walshaw Councillor Walshaw in HeadingleyNeil Walshaw
Councillor Neil Walshaw urged students to dispose of waste responsibly and asked people to alert councillors to problems

In Leeds, the Labour councillor for Headingley and Hyde Park, Neil Walshaw, posted images of accumulating rubbish bags and urged students to dispose of their waste correctly.

Headingley Greens also tweeted about the fly-tipping in the area, where many students live in term time, saying "enough is enough".

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In Birmingham, Natalia Hurst, a University of Birmingham graduate, wrote about her anger at the state of streets in parts of Selly Oak after students had moved out.

She praised the binmen "who just cleared my entire street of the huge pile-up of student fly-tipping", adding that their extra work in the hot weather was much appreciated.

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West Midlands Fire Service Rubbish in BirminghamWest Midlands Fire Service
In Birmingham, Bournbrook fire crews tweeted that the rubbish was a 'health and fire hazard'

The Manchester Evening News reported on "Binmageddon" in Fallowfield as students and landlords were blamed for leaving behind rotting food and unwanted electrical items.

Twitter user @binwars posted a video on YouTube highlighting the rubbish students were leaving in south Manchester.

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Manchester University issued a statement last week saying it was aware of an "unpleasant" build-up of rubbish, adding that Manchester Student Homes was working with the city council.

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It described tenancy turnover weekend as "challenging" and asked residents to report any problems to the council.