Disabled pensioner says Bedford bin collections are rubbish - after being missed 30 times in 8 months

A disabled woman has slammed the council’s bin collection service as rubbish – saying her bins have been missed 30 times in eight months.

Valerie, who lives in Neville Crescent, Bromham, is disabled and qualifies for assisted bin collections which means she doesn’t have to wheel her bins to the front her property. Instead the bins are collected and replaced by council staff.

Valerie said: “I’m fed up, it’s a shambles. I am a senior citizen, disabled and virtually housebound so can’t get my bins out. I have social services visit three times and day but I can’t manage to wheel my bins out so the council offers an assisted bin collection scheme which is really helpful.

“But I have had to report 30 missed collections over the past eight months. It’s really unacceptable when you pay your council tax bill and when your bins are left unemptied they can be smell which is a real problem in hot weather.

“I was told it’s a widespread problem across the borough with lots of reported missed collections due to staff being on sick leave. I was even told it sometimes means a whole street’s bins are not collected.”

A spokesman for Bedford Borough Council said: “We are aware that a resident has reported a couple of missed collections in the last few months on this road, in each instance we have collected the bins within two working days from the report.

“We will always investigate any report of a missed bin and work with residents to resolve any issues. Residents can easily report a missed bin collection here; anyone not able to report online can call our Customer Services team on 01234 267422.

“If a resident’s bin was put out on the correct day by 6am, has been reported within two working days of the original collection date, and does not contain anything it shouldn’t, then we will return to collect it within two working days of the report.

“Residents can check their bin day and what can go in each bin here; residents with a disability or medical condition can also request help from us to move their bins to the roadside with our ‘Assisted collection’ service on this page.”