BIN BAGS abandoned on Swindon's streets will be collected - but for one week only.

Baffled householders across the town have swamped the Advertiser with complaints about rubbish collections.

Last Monday, most households in Swindon switched to using blue bags or wheelie bins for non-recyclable waste.

And from that date the council said it would not collect any more black sacks.

But since the changeover, thousands of households across town have left black sacks out for collection - before their wheelie bins were emptied for the first time.

Now the council says it will collect the black bags left out, but only those left out this week.

Every home in the town was sent details about the changes, said a Swindon Council spokesman.

He also said the authority had to be flexible' early on.

"In some areas, people were unsure when the last black sack collection would take place, and put bags out last week when there was no scheduled collection," said the council spokesman.

"We are doing our best to remove these where we can.

"We will not continue to do this next week, as by then all householders should understand the new system.

"It would have been unrealistic to expect that the changeover, which affects 86,000 households, would not be without teething problems."

One of the worst affected areas has been the Anchor Sheltered Housing Complex on Dammas Lane, Old Town.

No black bags have been collected there for two weeks so a 6ft high and 20ft wide pile of bags has built up.

Julie Alley, a warden who lives on site, said: "I have 60 people here having a go at me for this. All I want is for the council to say when it'll come and collect the rubbish," she said. "But we've had nothing and before the change we got nothing to say when fortnightly collections would start.

"What we needed was something in the paper or on the radio saying this is when new collections start so don't put black bags out'.

"But there was nothing that we've been aware of."

South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove said: "The council carries the blame for not getting the message across that they would not pick up rubbish in black bags from the streets.

"It has turned our pavements into eyesores and it is the council's responsibility to put it right."

North Swindon MP Michael Wills said he'd had hundreds of complaints about black bags not being collected.

"And that's because this recycling scheme has been done in a rush," he said.

"You can't make huge changes like this without appropriate consultation - these problems were completely avoidable."

For more information about the changes visit www.swindon.gov.uk or call 01793 445501.

  • For a full four-page report including a look at the problems in the different areas of town, see today's Advertiser.