BY a rat-infested bin store between Somerset Road and Miner's Walk in Cinderford lies a dumped mattress which nobody will move.
And residents say they have seen both rats and children playing on it. However the person who dumped the mattress has been told they will have to pay for it to be removed.
"It has been there for three weeks now – I have phoned the street wardens, who say they cannot move this as is on Wyedean land," said one resident of Somerset Road.
"But Wyedean seem very slow in moving it and I consider this a massive health and safety issue,
"The mattress is dumped over a bin store where there are rats. I have not only now seen rats crawling over this mattress but on separate times seen children playing with the bed base and mattress.
"Rat urine can cause Weiles disease, which can be fatal especially in 10 year-old children.
"Wyedean have known about this problem for weeks now and have done nothing about it. What will they say if a child does contract this disease?"
He said with better weather the rats will breed and with a constant food source from the bin stores the problem would just escalate.
Pamela Jones of Wyedean Housing said that they were aware there was a bed base and mattress by a bin store in Miner's Walk.
"The resident has beeen informed that Forest of Dean District Council will charge £15 for its removal," she said.
"As the resident is in receipt of benefits they are saving up to have it removed."