PROBLEMS with rubbish collections are now on the decrease according to the council, despite continuing reports of missed pick-ups from residents across the borough.

Thousands of homes did not have their rubbish cleared on time earlier this month when new contractors Kier took over responsibility for waste disposal in Waltham Forest as part of a deal worth up to £90million over the next 15 years.

The council says “significantly fewer” streets are now reporting missed collections, although it has not provided an exact figure. The authority previously said “less than five per cent” of streets were affected in the first week of the new contract.

Meanwhile sources at Kier claim staff have been ordered to deliberately mix recycling with normal waste in an effort to clear the backlog, although this is denied by senior management.

It has also emerged that Kier is yet to have its new fleet of refuse trucks delivered - and that they will be one foot wider than current models.

One binman, who did not want to be named for fear of losing his job, said: “Our supervisors have been put under enormous pressure from above. If the recycling section of a truck gets full up we've been told to put it with the ordinary rubbish just to clear the backlog.

“We are very concerned about the wider trucks. They are going to make it even more difficult to get down narrow streets. The management don't seem to realise it's going to create a lot more problems.”

A council spokesman said Kier never intended to have the new trucks ready for the start of the new contract and said he did not think the width of the trucks was relevant.

Meanwhile, residents are continuing to report problems.

Brian Reeves, 61, of Barclay Road in Walthamstow, said that last Tuesday (October 11) his rubbish was cleared after two weeks of waiting, but his scheduled collection on Thursday was then yet again missed.

He added: “But a few days ago we saw a truck come, pick up one bin outside a house, and then drive off again. It's like something out of a comic book, it's unbelievable.”

Katie Dunsford, 35, of Cromwell Road in Walthamstow, said her collection had also been missed for the second week in a row.

She said: “The first week they came round and emptied my recycling into my main wheelie bin and just left it there.

“I kept phoning the council to complain but without much success. It seems that when the council get a complaint they contact Kier, who then reassure them, but then nothing gets done.

“Our rubbish has just been collected on Friday and the recycling on Sunday – even though Thursday is supposed to be our new date. It's a shambles.”

Albert Roker, 80, of The Copse in Chingford, said his collection, due on Monday, had been missed two weeks in a row.

He said: "They came late last week and have failed to clear it on time again this week. It's disgusting.

"At 8.15am one of the trucks drove down our street and parked for about three minutes. Then it drove off again. I don't understand it.

"I've spent a lot of money telephoning the council to complain but all I get is promises they don't keep."

In a statement, cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Clyde Loakes admitted that “it isn't good enough” that collections were missed.

He said he has “stressed this point very clearly to our new contractors” but said only a minority of residents had been affected.

Click here to follow the Waltham Forest Guardian on Twitter

Click here to follow the Waltham Forest Guardian on Facebook

Click here to follow the Chingford Guardian on Twitter