‘We’ll be overcome by rats before we know it’

Stanhope residents were left disgusted last week after their recycling collection was picked up four days later than expected.

Cllr Brendan Chilton, of Luddenham Close, said: “My road, Eastry, and Sheldwich Close were all missed in the pick-up on Tuesday [July 16]. I would say about one third of the estate was actually not collected from.”

Diane Willmott, of Lynsted Close, Stanhope, said: “My bins were supposed to be picked up on Tuesday, and on Thursday they still hadn’t been collected.

“It’s disgusting. The food caddy stinks and the recycling bin is overflowing.

“I called the council and they said the collection could be today or it could be tomorrow.

“There is no way my bin will cope with another few days of waste. There are families in this estate of five and six. They will accumulate a lot of waste.

“Something needs to be done. ABC have encouraged us all to recycle and then they don’t even bother to come and collect it.

“All this rubbish doesn’t give Stanhope a very good reputation. We’ll be overcome with rats before we know it. I take pride in my house, but the estate is an absolute eyesore.

“The council’s attitude is they have ‘teething problems’. But that isn’t our problem. We pay our council tax on time.”

The recycling from the missed streets in Stanhope was eventually collected on Friday, July 19.

Cllr Chilton added: “I did expect problems but I thought it would be the residents who struggled, not the contractors.”