refuse collection

This isn’t funny and its horrid when it afflicts you. It gives me a chance to praise the West Lindsey refuse collection system though which in my experience as a very satisfied consumer is second to none!

Bin collection failures by councils have risen to record levels, leading to dozens of severely neglected households being handed hundreds of pounds on compensation, figures show.

Over the past year more than 400 bin-related disputes were upheld by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, it has revealed, up from 287 in the previous year.

According to a report published today by the organisation, which is the arbiter of bin-related disputes, it upheld 81 per cent of the 498 complaints it received last year. This is up from 225 (55 per cent) of 447 complaints upheld in 2014/15.

Some 21 people were treated so badly they received payouts worth an average of £140, with the worst cases receiving £350 in compensation from councils.

In 2014/15 just nine people received financial compensation over extreme bin failings.

The Ombudsman only upholds cases where a lack of bin collection by councils has been long and sustained, or if they involve poor customer service or someone with a disability.