A PILE of rubbish caused a stink for businesses who say their waste collections have been missed for two weeks.

Bags of rubbish were piled six feet high next to trade bins used by the Forest Complimentary Clinic in Forest Road and the coffee shop next door, attracting vermin and causing a whiff.

Ian Clarke who owns the clinic with his wife, Eva Kussiova, said: “We are a complimentary health clinic and have to be hygienic so this is terrible.

“It also creates bad feeling with our neighbours.”

Mr Clarke said he is unimpressed because it is not the first time collections have been missed. Previously he went on holiday to find it had gone uncollected for weeks also, he said.

“When I phoned the council they said that because rubbish was piled up on the bins, they could not take it away. But the reason it was piled up was because it hadn't been collected,” he said.

The rubbish was collected today after the Guardian contacted the council, which said it is looking into the matter.

Mr Clarke added: “This has happened time and time again. We just hope it doesn't reoccur.”