New residents furious as bins left unemptied for weeks

FAMILIES on a new estate have been waiting almost a month for a rubbish collection, because the bin men did not know they have moved in.

Residents started moving into Sadlers Walk, in Burslem, on September 26.

But they have been waiting for their bins to be collected, despite dustbin men working elsewhere on the Sadlers Park estate.

Craig and Kerry Taylor, who have a 16-month-old daughter Caitlin, have been complaining to Stoke-on-Trent City Council about the rubbish problems.

Aspire Housing customer services manager Craig, aged 26, said: "This is a major health and safety breach.

"We've got soiled nappies in our rubbish, and it's not getting collected.

"We have rung the council so many times and been told the problem is being sorted, but nothing happens.

"Every week we put our bins out, and on the rest of the estate they are emptied – but not on our road.

"It's simply not acceptable.

"If the bags get ripped, there's going to be rubbish all over the floor. We're having to store our rubbish in our garage, so cats or foxes don't get to it.

"There are quite a few kids on this street, and it's not hygienic to have rubbish building up.

"We'd take it to the tip, but it's so old now we don't want to put it in our car."

Seven of the 12 houses on Sadlers Walk are now occupied.

Neighbours Louise and Shawn Gallimore and two-year-old son Owen are also demanding action.

Louise, aged 29, said: "The bin men are emptying the wheelie bins on the rest of the estate, but missing us out.

"We've been having to go to the tip, which is a pain as we work full-time. The council keeps promising to collect our rubbish, but no-one turns up. It's very frustrating.

"They know we live here, because as well as our complaints about the bins, we've contacted them regarding our council tax."

Paddy Knowles, city council waste services manager, said: "The houses are new and the waste collection teams had not been made aware that some of the properties were now occupied.

"We apologise to those residents affected. Officers will visit the site and make arrangements for the waste to be cleared."

The bins were finally collected yesterday afternoon.