A Hawarden Hill resident has slammed his estate’s management company for an “appalling” standard of maintenance and lax security that he says allowed rubbish – and rats – to mount up and encouraged flytipping.

The man, who has lived on the estate with his partner for less than a year, said: “Our introduction into how the management company functions has been appalling.

“The block has not been looked after or well-managed at all.

“They clear things eventually but it’s paid for by adding to our service charge.

“There needs to be better security to stop the tipping in the first place.

“I don’t think the CCTV is real, and I can’t get a response from the property manager.”

First Port, which claims to be Britain’s biggest property management company, said it was working to clean up the Cricklewood estate and respond to concerns.

A spokesperson said: “We’ve been focusing on the flytipping and waste management issues at Hawarden Hill as a priority and residents are always welcome to talk to us about any other concerns.

“Flytipping is a criminal offence and we’re looking at installing CCTV to catch those responsible and deter it in future.

“We’ll be working with the local council and police to ensure this unacceptable behavior is properly dealt with. We’ve also recommended to residents that we replace the bin store doors and fit coded locks to stop non-residents dumping waste.”

They added they had engaged a pest control contractor and been following its recommendations, and that they had cleaned the bin store area.

They explained: “These measures have improved the situation, but we also need residents’ help in making sure that refuse is put in the bins appropriately.”