Thousands of bin collections missed in town

Thousands of bin collections have been missed in early January in a Wiltshire town.

Swindon Borough Council said difficult weather conditions had impacted waste collections in the town as photos were shared of overflowing bins.

The council said 93.5% of the 101,400 properties its crews visit each week had been completed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports. However, a little more than 6,500 properties are still awaiting collections.

The council thanked people for their patience while cabinet member for environment, councillor Chris Watts, said they will be "collected it as soon as possible".

Haydon Wick parish councillor Vinay Manro shared a picture of communal recycling bins overflowing with cans and cardboard on social media this week.

"Over the past few days, many residents have contacted me about missed waste and recycling collections across Swindon," he said.

"Residents deserve clear explanations and a proper recovery plan, not simply being told to 'leave bins out'."

Watts said difficult weather over the festive period - which included a cold snap - has impacted waste collection.

He added: "Challenging cold weather has placed additional pressure on collections since then, which has understandably created a backlog of waste and recycling collections.

"With the potential for snow forecast from Thursday evening into Friday, please bear with us while we work to catch up on these collections and continue to leave your waste and recycling out, and our crews will collect it as soon as possible.

"Thank you to all residents for your patience and understanding and to our crews for their continued hard work."

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