RESIDENTS have just 24 hours to report unemptied bins, otherwise they must wait a further two weeks for them to be collected, it has emerged.

The Bolton Council policy came to light after a Heaton resident reported her unemptied bin to the council last Thursday morning — following a missed collection on Tuesday.

Joyce Cook’s grey bin, and the bins of her neighbours, were due to be picked up by bin wagons on Tuesday from outside her home in Somerset Road.

But after she rang on Thursday morning to see if they could be collected, she was told she would have to wait another two weeks.

The 62-year-old retired home care worker said: “I was told I’d left it too late to call and should have rung on Wednesday.

“But it’s not my fault they weren’t picked up — the binmen missed out our road on their round.

“It is very frustrating. It’s them who have missed them. Why should I be stuck with all this rubbish?

“I don’t mind the paper one or the bottles, they can be left — but to leave the black bins is unhygienic.

“Council tax is set to rise, and why? They are not doing the job now.”

A council spokesman said residents have until 5pm the next working day to report a missed collection, but the council did collect the bins in Somerset Road.

He added: “Having looked into this issue in detail, the crew were unable to empty the entire street on Tuesday due to parked cars and so returned on Thursday to empty all the bins.

“Again there was a problem with parked cars, but, after persuading a resident to move his car, they were able to empty the bins.”

● For information about bin collections visit bolton.gov.uk