Residents left confused over bin collection email

Eric Polano says older residents mistakenly put out heavy bins on Monday

A new garden waste collection service in Middlesbrough is under fire after confused residents put their bins out on the wrong day.

Some householders thought their old green bins - which are due to be replaced with brown ones - would be collected "from Monday" after they received a council email.

However, the email was only an example of a leaflet set to be delivered, while others complained they could not sign up for the service due to clogged-up phone lines.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said the issues were being “quickly rectified”.

Residents have been advised not to put their green bins out until they receive a leaflet confirming the date of collection.

'I'm only an old codger'

Eric Polano, 75, from Acklam, told the BBC: "They're all old age pensioners who live around here. On Monday, everyone put their bins out.

"These bins are heavy when they're full. I push them for three or four of the residents who find it hard.

"I have no idea when they'll be collected. I'm just going to leave it here so it does."

Green bins were left out in a misunderstanding over a sample leaflet image

Howard Duddles, 88, also from Acklam, added: "We were supposed to have them emptied and they haven't emptied them, so they're full. It's a big problem.

"[The council] are doing their best but they get a lot of things wrong, but who am I to say? I'm only an old codger."

Howard Duddles says there is a "big problem" with uncollected garden waste

However, others took to social media to say they could not understand the confusion.

The existing green waste bins are being collected for the final time in a process the Labour-led council estimates will take about nine weeks.

Householders can sign up for a new brown bin, emptied every fortnight for £40 a year by the local authority.

The spokesman added: "A large proportion of households in Middlesbrough have already been able to sign up for our garden waste service – more than 15,000.

"We want to thank our residents for their patience during a very busy period for staff.”