Students have left a disgusting trail of rubbish including abandoned cars and rotting food as they break up at the end of university year.

Undergrads abandoned mattresses in gutters, ditched sofas in gardens and left cars filled to the brim around Cardiff.

The sheer amount of rotting food discarded by students cleaning out their fridges, have locals complaining of the dreadful smell that festers in the summer heat.

Students have left a disgusting trail of rubbish in Cardiff including abandoned cars and rotting food as they break up at the end of university year

Undergrads abandoned mattresses in gutters, ditched sofas in gardens and left cars filled to the brim around Cardiff

The sheer amount of rotting food discarded by students cleaning out their fridges, have locals complaining of the dreadful smell that festers in the summer heat

The YMCA Re-Use Bank by Cathays Railway Station is overflowing with items left by students, including card games, pots, dishware and other rubbish

Around Cardiff there are thought to be 75,000 students across Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan and the University of South Wales.

A YCMA donation bank near the Cathays train station was littered with Tupperware, chopping boards, bowls, pots and pans and bottles of ketchup and mayonnaise.

Also strewn about on the ground are expensive-looking textbooks, chairs, hairbrushes and DVDs.

Palaeontology postgraduate student Richard Jones took a picture of the rubbish, explaining 'before it was piling up as high as that,' pointing at the top of the bank.

He added: 'I was walking past a few weeks ago and there was a guy saying there was a handbag there that was selling for £30 on eBay. He said he was going back the next day and fill the car up.'

On the corner of Miskin Street, two green and white striped deck chairs stand ripped, with a large bottle of Smirnoff vodka lying yards away.

Meanwhile others have taken to Twitter to share pictures of the mess, including a car left full to bursting with belongings.

Christopher Williams, who works as a builder gutting student flats into one big HMO, said the state that students leave their homes in is shocking.

Christopher Williams (pictured), who works as a builder gutting student flats into one big HMO, said that the state that students leave their homes in is shocking

Cardiff council maintenance teams and members of Cardiff University are determined to keep up with the volume of rubbish coming from each house

On the corner of Miskin Street, two green and white striped deck chairs stand ripped, with a large bottle of Smirnoff vodka lying yards away

The 39-year-old said: 'When I started I was shocked... there's freezers full of stuff, food in the cupboards, in the fridges.

'It's all mouldy but what can you do? When you have a fridge with no electricity you just have to see what's in it. The smell just hits you.'

Mr Williams said he sometimes takes discarded items to charity shops so they can make a bit of money.

He said: 'This morning someone came and picked up two cookers, gas hobs and extractor fans.

'If you give them a bit of a clean most of it can be re-used. Sometimes there are clothes with tags still on.'

Royal College of Welsh Music and Drama student Katie Bayliss said she is preparing to move out of her flat.

She said: 'It's stressful. You have to make sure everything is spick and span while making sure you get your own stuff ready.

'Some people just don't care and the seagulls come and open the bags. We try our best obviously because there are families near but you can't help it when the seagulls are ripping everything.

'The worst is the food left in the recycling bins. In this heat it's horrible, I have to hold my breath walking past it.'

Pictured: Jessica Jones, aged 22, from Stoke, moving into her accommodation in Miskin Street

A YCMA donation bank near the Cathays train station is littered with Tupperware, chopping boards, bowls, pots and pans and bottles of ketchup and mayonnaise

Also carelessly strewn about on the ground are expensive-looking textbooks, chairs, hairbrushes and DVDs

Cardiff council maintenance teams and members of Cardiff University are determined to keep up with the volume of rubbish coming from each house.

To help with the big move out a 'Love When You Leave Campaign' has been set up to make students aware of how to get rid of rubbish.

A spokeswoman for Cardiff University said: 'We are one of three universities in the city centre and we take our responsibilities to the local community and other residents extremely seriously.

'Together with our Students' Union, we work hard to ensure that all of our students are made aware of their responsibilities around waste, recycling and charity collections throughout the year.

'We are a partner in the 'Love When you Leave Campaign', which helps ensure students living in the city centre are aware of waste collection dates, donation points and what to do with unwanted goods at the end of term.

A spokeswoman for Cardiff University said: 'We are one of three universities in the city centre and we take our responsibilities to the local community and other residents extremely seriously'

To help with the big move out a 'Love When You Leave Campaign' has been set up to make students aware of how to get rid of rubbish

'The University and Students' Union also work closely with Cardiff City Council to ensure we take a co-ordinated approach to messages around responsible waste disposal and recycling.'

Michael Michael, Cardiff council cabinet member for clean streets and recycling, said: 'All students need to plan ahead when they leave their rented property so that any unrecyclable or unusable waste is put out for collection on the correct waste collection day.

'Failure to do this causes an eyesore for other residents and the rubbish bags are often ripped open by seagulls causing large levels of street litter If students persist on doing this, they will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice.

'A great deal of time and effort has been put into providing the various recycling and reuse schemes through the Love When You Leave Campaign and we ask everyone to plan ahead and use the facilities provided.'