WASTE is piling up outside a pensioner’s home after council collectors said they were unable to negotiate roadworks and remove it.

A large pile of orange recycling boxes has been left on the verge outside 77-year-old Ann Hopkins’ Old Walcot house and she claimed it was making the area like a tip.

While general and garden waste has been removed by the council, Ann claims the council told her the lorries were unable to collect the recycling.

Resurfacing works along Upham Road make access awkward for the larger recycling lorries and they are expected to continue for another week-and-a-half.

Campden Road resident Ann told the Advertiser: “The council picked up the general waste on Thursday. They told me they couldn’t pick the orange boxes up and they will be there for two weeks. There are more than two dozen.

“It looks like a tip outside my house. I’m the nearest point for people to leave their boxes because of the roadworks.”

The former council worker says she has called the authority about the problem, but is dissatisfied with suggestions that it could take at least a week for the bins to be collected.

Ann said: “The council said they couldn’t get the recycling lorry down Campden Road, but it’s funny how they managed to get the normal waste on Thursday and the garden waste on Friday.

“They’re not going to come for another fortnight. That’s what they’ve told me.

“What’s going to happen in two weeks when they come to collect it again? A lot of my neighbours have rung the council to complain.”

Neighbours had seen rats in the area since the orange box pile was left last week and one resident was looking at putting down rat poison, Ann claimed.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman told the Adver: “We apologise for the delays. Resurfacing work taking place on Upham Road made it difficult for our lorries to pick up the rubbish.

“But after allocating additional resources, we are pleased to say it has now been collected.”