WINCHESTER residents have one word for the city council refuse collection service: rubbish.

People living in flats above the High Street had no service for six weeks until last Friday. (MAY9) Householder Michael Newman said: “What a load of rubbish.”

Mr Newman said council officers were more concerned that residents were putting rubbish in recycling bins than in the fact that the overflowing bins had not been emptied.

He said officers told residents to use other bins that were owned by local businesses. Mr Newman said: “There is something wrong with communications. They don’t seem to know their own system.”

A council spokesman said: “There was confusion with trade bins and residential bins in the same location.”

He said the bins would be better labelled.