Tenants fear their health is being put at risk by piles of fly-infested bin bags which have been uncollected for weeks.

They are calling for urgent action to clear the scores of bin bags piled several feet high in the two communal bin areas at their block of flats in Southcliffe Way, Baildon.

They are being backed by Councillor John Cole (Lib Dem, Baildon) who is asking Bradford Council to sort out the problem and then refurbish the block, which he describes as the "worst housing in Baildon''.

Tenants say their rubbish has been collected only three times in a year with no collections for about three months.

Coun Cole said weekly collections had stopped for safety reasons after refuse collectors found hypodermic syringes in some bin bags.

The solution, he said, was to provide a large commercial wheelie bin. He said though work had begun to construct a storage area for such a bin, it has not been completed.

Tenant June Holmes, 59, said: "It's like living next to a tip. It stinks and there are flies everywhere. The bags are piled so high, they're spilling out of the bin area and into the hall which means we can't get in to use our lock-ups.

"The block hasn't been painted for over ten years. There's graffiti all over the walls by the stairs and we need new windows and security doors.''

Gillian Darnborough, 41, said: "We shouldn't have to live like this. We are paying rent and council tax for a service we're not getting.''

Leanne Wilson, 21, who lives in a ground-floor flat with her boyfriend and 16-month-old daughter Charlotte, said: "My kitchen window is just a few feet from the bin area. It's a health hazard.

Coun Cole said: "It's completely unacceptable. I couldn't live there myself and can't expect Council tenants to live in those conditions either."

The Council's housing director Geraldine Howley said: "Work is under way to build a space to house two wheelie bins near these blocks and we will ensure that the construction is completed as quickly as possible.

"We appreciate the concerns raised about the condition of these properties."