'What went on with our bins was utterly disgusting'

Full bins were left in the street after a missed collection - before the council told people it would be THREE WEEKS before it was sorted. Residents in the Ridge Hill area of Stalybridge, Tameside, were left panicking about rats and smelly rubbish after crews failed to empty their waste receptacles on February 19.

Robert Fullard, from Ridge Hill Lane, was fuming when he realised his black bin - cans and bottles - hadn't been collected. Neighbours across the area soon came to same infuriating realisation.

Robert was even more angry when he was told he'd have to wait for the next collection - three weeks later on March 4. The council has since apologised and sent crews out to sort the stinky problem.

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"It is utterly disgusting," Robert told the Manchester Evening News, before town hall took action. "There is often an issue with bins not getting collected and sometimes the smell can be distinctive.

"The main issue is that because the bins are left out in public, outside my house, for what will be three weeks. The bins will be used by passers-by, who 'contaminate' the bins, so the collection agents will not take them away or the council will try to fine you for contaminated bins.

"This means longer and longer times outside mine, and other, homes." Bins can often be seen gathered in the corner of Ridge Hill Lane, Robert said.

A Tameside council spokesperson said: "The black bin collection for this area was not completed last week and the outstanding streets unfortunately were not reported accurately by the collection crew.

"This meant that when a number of individual residents reported a missed bin collection they were informed it will be collected on the