CLINICAL waste is still being left on an Old Town street, parish councillors have heard.

It follows a number of incidents last November, when bags of the hazardous rubbish were dumped on Prospect Place.

Swindon Borough Council, which is responsible for collecting the waste, said the resident responsible had been warned against leaving the bags on the kerb and an investigation into the rubbish had been closed.

But South Swindon parish councillors have said the sacks continue to be left on the pavement opposite the BBC offices. And one Old Town resident claimed she had seen borough council bin men tossing one bag of the clinical waste into the same lorry used to collect commercial waste. The council disputes the claim.

Last November, parish councillor Toby Robson discovered eight yellow clinical waste bags on Prospect Place, containing a pool of what appeared to be blood.

In an email to the parish council, borough service manager Rachel Ind said an investigation into the fly-tipping had been closed: “This was a resident who had put their clinical waste out early due to limited space in their flat. A receptacle has been provided to them so they can store it more appropriately.”

But the parish council questioned why the bags appeared to still being left on the street. The parish clerk said: “Either the resident is putting it out too early or are Swindon Borough Council is not collecting it on time.”

Responding, a borough spokesman said: “As we explained to the parish council, we identified the source of the clinical waste and have provided the resident with a storage facility so bags are not left out on the street prior to the collection day. Owing to the location of the resident’s property, the clinical waste bags still need to be left on Prospect Place to be collected by our crew on the day of collection. If the parish council are correct and bags are being left out earlier than this, then we will contact the resident to reinforce the advice that has already been given.”

The comments follow claims by one Old Town resident that a sack of clinical waste was collected by the borough together with commercial waste from nearby chip shop Mr Cod on Victoria Road. Alana Mooney said: “It was clinical waste. It’s contaminated waste and it’s going into landfill.”

Swindon Borough Council said no clinical waste had been collected and suggested the bag seen had been commercial rubbish, collected in orange sacks. CCTV footage obtained by the Advertiser shows a refuse collector with a bag of what could be the clinical waste.

The borough is responsible for collecting clinical waste, including used bandages and catheter bags. Its website says orange sacks or yellow sharps boxes are provided for the waste, which is collected upon request.