Latest West Wiltshire Bin Scandal

12.09.51pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 17th Oct 2008

Local Liberal Democrats have hit out after the latest scandal involving the collection of waste in West Wiltshire.

Residents have complained after it emerged that the waste contractor, Focsa, had been instructed by the council not to collect wheelie bins if the wheels were on gravel.

Instead residents have been told that they must drag their bins onto the pavement in case the bins got stones stuck in their wheels and fell onto the refuse collectors.

This new policy comes just months after the Conservative-run council made the headlines after refusing to empty bins which could not be dragged with two fingers or which were over a footstep away from the kerb.

Rosemary Brown, Shadow Environment portfolio holder on the council said:

"This goes to show how ludicrous the council is being when dealing with basic needs for its residents. These policies will particularly hit the elderly, infirm and disabled who may not be able to drag their bins within the millimetre that the council demands. It is unfair and they should not be expected to do so.

"Local residents pay their council tax to get a number of services, including waste collection, and the Conservatives simply are not taking into account what is best for them."

Duncan Hames, prospective Lib Dem MP for Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham, added:

"This isn't an isolated case, this Conservative council has been issuing us with new rules over and over again and it is hard for people to keep up.

"When local people choose the team to run the new Wiltshire Council they will want one that instead puts the needs of residents before their paid contractors."