Illegal rubbish dumping at Bexley Reserve is causing rats to populate nearby properties.

Residents living near the reserve on Pages Rd are upset after putting up with the consequences of several incidents of fly­tipping.

One large pile of rubbish was removed by the city council earlier this month.

Pegasus Post was told it has been an issue since November.

The rubbish piles included chicken bones, tea bags, boxes and house hold items.

In the past year, the city council has received 22 complaints to remove rubbish from the reserve.

Resident Paula Bartlett-Pak said the rubbish has been bringing rats into the area and it shouldn’t have taken the city council so long to clean it up.

Her views have been backed by neighbours Trish Barnes, Christine Robertson and Dave Bonnington.

Mrs Robertson said it is the first time her property has had rats and she has placed poison around the property.

“I was outside and thought ‘who put that bloody big rock in the drive way?’ And then it moved and then I thought ‘oh my god’ it is a bloody rat,” she said.

Bonnington said he has lived next to Bexley Reserve for 12 years and never had rats until now.

Coastal-Burwood Community Board member Tim Baker said he saw a name in the rubbish and is hoping the city council will now be able to track down who has dumped it.

City council community parks manager Al Hardy said it does not know who is responsible for the rubbish dumping.

Additional security barriers have been added to the reserve and vegetation pruned to help minimise the illegal dumpings.

Dumping rubbish is punishable by a fine of up to $400.

Concerns have also been raised over how often the reserve is maintained.

Over the past 12 months, 129 maintenance jobs have been performed at the reserve, and a further 64 hours of pruning carried out by city council rangers