Put your bins out warning

The threat of refuse collectors ignoring the weekly collections of black bags has been issued by Arun District Council.

The council and its contractor, Verdant, are cracking down on individuals who fail to obey its front-of-property collection service.

This was brought in when Verdant took on the contract in February 2005. Most residents quickly placed their refuse sacks and recycling bins in the right place.

But a minority have persisted in leaving their rubbish some distance up their drives, hidden or unreachable behind gates and even at the back of their homes. The number has been put at 6 to 8 per cent of the 67,000 households across the district from which Verdant collects.

This month, Arun launches a campaign to force a change in those habits.This involves a yellow information card or sticker being issued for any refuse left in the wrong place.

A further yellow card will be issued the following week if the refuse is still incorrectly placed.