Thousands of people gathered in a show of solidarity with Birmingham's striking bin workers today despite their ongoing row with the council leaving the city with a dystopia-like rat infestation.
Mounds of litter and rotting food have lined the West Midlands streets since members of the Unite union began their now-months-long war with council chiefs, causing an influx of maggots and rodents.
Tensions had been threatening to boil over since January this year, when union barons began making noises over a potential £8,000 pay cut and concerns over the downgrading of roles by the council.
And chaos quickly broke out in March when bin workers launched an indefinite full-scale strike movement.
In the six months since, Birmingham has been at the centre of a storm which has seen Health Secretary Wes Streeting weigh in with concerns over the health and safety of the city's residents should the strikes continue.
