A HUGE pile-up of waste has prompted complaints slamming one waste management company for not collecting rubbish from a series of shops on Wokingham Road.

Refuse collection firm Biffa has not picked up rubbish from the grocery shops since Friday, according to one shop owner, despite repeated calls to the company, which calls itself ‘number one for business waste’.

The shops affected, on the stretch of the road near Palmer Park, include Big Bazaar and Rahim Stores.

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A Reading Borough Council (RBC) spokesman said the pile-up of waste is “unacceptable” and it is working with the businesses and waste contractor to remedy the situation as soon as possible.

Speaking on Tuesday evening (April 14), Munir Latif, owner of Rahim Stores, said: “I rang Biffa on Friday and Saturday and was promised someone would come on Monday but no one showed.

“I was then promised Tuesday but no one showed. They have now said they will send someone tomorrow for a site visit.

“It has been five days they have not collected anything. I shouldn’t have to chase them.

“I have had to cancel deliveries. It is a nuisance as well as a health hazard. I have no more storage where I can put the rubbish.”

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Mr Latif showed the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) an email where Biffa stated it would visit the site on Wednesday, April 15.

He added: “They are the most disgusting company I have come across. Every bank holiday there is always an issue.

“They say they are the biggest waste management company in the country and this is the way they treat their customers”.

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Mr Latif claimed shops on Oxford Road were also experiencing problems with Biffa and said he would cancel his contract with the waste collection company.

A spokesperson from Biffa said: “Over the weekend we had an issue with some collections in the Reading area due to employee sickness.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and have been in contact with the affected customer to organise a collection today.

“In this time of crisis, we are focused on delivering critical waste management services while doing our utmost to protect the health and safety of our employees.”