Labour has been accused of creating a “public health emergency” after allowing 17,000 tonnes of rubbish to pile up on Birmingham’s streets. Shadow Local Government Secretary Kevin Hollinrake said the Birmingham bin strike had brought Victorian diseases back to Britain.

And he warned that chaos in the Labour-run city could spread across the country after the Government refused to take on trade union Unite, which represents bin workers and is also one of Labour’s biggest donors. Writing for the Sunday Express, Mr Hollinrake said: “Diseases like rat-bite fever, Weil’s disease and Ricketts are no longer distant threats — they’re real, and they’re on Birmingham’s doorstep. Forget taking us back to the 1970s — this Labour government is dragging Birmingham back to the Victorian era.”

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has sent officials to Birmingham to help the city plan a massive clean-up operation if the ongoing strike can be brought to an end.

It follows warnings that uncollected bin bags pose a major health hazard with pest control firms reporting rats as big as small dogs.

Ms Rayner, who is also Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “The people of Birmingham are our first priority – this dispute is causing misery and disruption to residents and the backlog must be dealt with quickly to address public health risks.

“My department is working with the council to support its response and accelerate clearing the backlog, providing a number of staff to help with logistics to make sure the response is swift. Neighbouring authorities are providing additional vehicles and crews.

“I have pressed both sides to negotiate at pace to urgently find a resolution. There is now a better offer on the table and I would urge Unite to suspend the action and accept the improved deal so we achieve fairness for both workers and residents of this city.”

Her department has provided staff to help the authority with the logistics of cleaning up the city.

A multi-agency group has also been established including Birmingham Council officials and includes experts from the UK Health Security Agency.

City residents have been asked to use two bin bags for waste before dumping it in the street, to make it harder for rats to gnaw their way in.

The UK Health Security Agency, a Department of Health body, has issued formal guidance to Birmingham City Council warning of the “public health risk associated with household waste”.

Rodents are carriers of diseases including Leptospirosis, also known as Weil’s Disease, which can cause jaundice and kidney failure, as well as hantavirus, which can lead to haemorrhagic fever and internal bleeding.

Infections caused by rat bites or scratches, or contact with rat droppings, can cause fever, joint pain and rashes.