A TEENAGE mother today demanded to know why rubbish labelled as clinical waste was left in a residential street for more than a week.

Carla Dagg, 19, says a yellow bin and two yellow bags marked 'clinical waste to be incinerated' were dumped across from her home in Cherry Close, Blackburn, last Wednesday.

The teenager, who lives with her mum, Wendy, 10-year-old sister Chelsea and 10-month-old son Callum, said: "I don't know what was in there, but I could see surgical gloves and was frightened of what the consequences might have been.

"We have a dog and two cats which could easily have ripped into the bags and I saw my sister near to them with baby Callum in his pram.

"These bags should not be on the street like that. Whoever they belong to should keep them inside their yard."

Two of Carla's neighbours have also raised concerns about 'clinical waste' which was at the rear of a property in Cherry Street.

One man, who asked not to be named, said he and his wife had contacted Blackburn with Darwen Council but were told that refuse collectors were not allowed to remove clinical waste.

He said: "The bags were out all week. I don't know if they were hazardous or contaminated but they should have been incinerated as the wording says.

"Dogs or cats could get at them and then children could get at whatever was in there.

"I don't know what was in there exactly but they should not be on the street.

"It is absolutely disgusting."

His wife, who said the couple had both seen rats close to the same area, said: "It is not on that we have to live like this.

"If there were needles in there they could have been infected with hepatitis or anything."

Arrangements for removal of the bags was made after Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust was alerted to the problem.

But the reason for them being there is still unknown.

Steve Ellwod, head of support services, said: "They could be from a dental practice or a small GPs, or might have been moved by children.

"As a primary care trust we have two collectors. One which goes to all health centres, which store all clinical waste inside the building, and another which collects domiciliary waste from people's homes, which should be kept in their kitchen or back yards.

"But I cannot find any records for that area to explain how these bags got there.

"The most important thing is to get it shifted."