Disruption to waste collection services has spread to the Hart district, with some residents being warned they will not have their recycling collected this week.

Bin collections across Basingstoke and Deane have been severely disrupted in recent weeks. Garden waste collections were cancelled last week due to staff self-isolating, whilst some residents on narrow streets were warned they would not have their waste or recycling bins collected this week.

It is because of "mechanical issues" with the lorries that Serco use.

Now, disruption has spread to neighbouring Hart district, where residents on narrow streets are being told they will not have their recycling collected this week.

Serco operate the £88 million joint contract across Basingstoke and Deane and Hart.

The outsourcing giant's head of regional operations, James Farquhar, said that a "key component" has failed in the three "specialist smaller vehicles used to collect waste and recycling from properties with narrow or difficult access".

This has combined with "unprecedented... mechanical issues" in the main fleet of vehicles.

Hart District Council are now advising residents whose whole street has been missed to continue to leave bins out in its usual collection place, where the crew will return as soon as possible. "Bin collection crews are working hard, including at weekends, to try to clear any backlog," a spokesperson said.

"If only your bin, rather than the whole street, has been missed, please complete a missed bin form."

For those that live on narrow roads, no recycling will be collected this week and additional capacity will be taken on the next collection day, in two weeks time.

Residents on narrow streets will have garden waste collected today, and waste only tomorrow (Friday).

James Farquhar, head of regional operations at Serco said: “A routine inspection of one of the specialist smaller vehicles used to collect waste and recycling from properties with narrow or difficult access, identified the failure of a key component.

"All vehicles of the same make and model were then examined and the same failure was identified.

"For safety reasons all three vehicles have been temporarily withdrawn from service.

"In addition, an unprecedented of number vehicles across our main fleet have also experienced mechanical issues, to minimise the disruption to residents our workshop team is working hard to get these vehicles back on the road.

"We would like to offer our sincere apologies to all affected residents give our reassurance that we are doing all we can to resolve all issues as soon as we can.”

Yesterday, The Gazette reported how there would be disruption to waste collection services in Basingstoke and Deane this weekend because of the mechanical issues.