Coventry opens pop-up rubbish sites to cope with Christmas strike

Talks between bin lorry drivers and the council collapsed just before Christmas

Temporary rubbish drop-off sites have opened to help people cope with a Christmas bin lorry drivers strike.

Coventry City Council said they had been set up at four locations and would open seven days a week during the industrial action.

It warned the sites may be busy and advised people to double-bag their waste to avoid spillages.

Members of the Unite union are in dispute with the council over pay and new Christmas working arrangements.

Coventry City Council said on 23 December it was "disappointed" that no agreement could be reached and said it had made a number of "generous offers" to the union.

The union said it wanted a pay rise for the drivers and is also opposed to the introduction of new collections shifts over Christmas week.

Talks are scheduled to start again on 4 January, but until then there will be no roadside bin collections.

The four drop-off points are located at Cheylesmore car park, War Memorial Park, Hearsall Common and Sowe Common car park.

They opened on 29 December and will operate between 08:00 and 16:30 every day, excluding bank holidays.

The council said there was no need to book a visit and people will be guided in and asked to leave their waste in a holding area.

Unless an agreement can be reached, further strikes are due to take place on 5 and 6 January and throughout the week of 11 January.