Failures of communication meant rubbish mounted in some streets but no bin men appeared, while in others collection vehicles arrived to find no bins had been put out.

Leamingtonian Graham Hobbins summed up the feelings expressed by many, branding the district's new bin collection arrangements, which began this week, "a shambles".

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At the same time, those behind the scheme initially claimed a successful start.

Warwick District Council described the first rounds as having been "positive".

Some 60,000 properties made the switch to alternate weekly collections of different types of waste this week, under a £20 million five-year deal which should almost double the recycling rate to 45 per cent by 2010.

While the council was thanking residents for their patience, and stressing it was a minority who had experienced problems, the Courier was inundated with complaints.

In Mayfield Close, Sydenham, Mr and Mrs Doyle and their three children watched on in horror as a mountain of 35 black bags appeared next to their back gate. The area had begun the new scheme with a recycling collection.

But some neighbours had not been ready for the withdrawal of the old bin day and, with another week to go until the grey 'waste' bins were due to be dealt with, they took disposal into their own hands.

The Doyles were understandably upset - but their fury paled beside the deluge of complaints concerning the troubleshooting Sort-it line, which was engaged for much of the week.

Some callers spent days trying to get through and were left vowing to take their rubbish to the district council's Riverside House headquarters, or to withhold tax.

Stoneleigh's David Hucker said: "Like many, I will end up at the tip depositing rubbish I am paying the council to collect."

"If everyone was so fed up with these cut-backs they refused to pay their taxes there wouldn't be enough jails to keep us all locked up," said Hill Wootton's Sonia Scrimshire.

The Sort-it line's 12 operators - or one for every 6,250 bins distributed as part of the plans - were said to be working flat out.
As well as 6,000 calls in four days they received 3,700 emails. With a new free bus pass for all over-60s and council tax bills being issued at the same time, other resources were already stretched, said a spokesman.

There had, admitted Warwick District Council communications manager, Richard Brooker, been "teething problems", but his message remained cautiously upbeat.

He said: "Jackie Webb (district council waste collection manager) has been out at the depot at 6.30am talking to staff and the first collections generally seem to have gone quite well. There have been some teething problems, and we ask people to bear with us, but the biggest single problem has been with people who have not read the literature properly.

"We have had four leaflets distributed and features in magazines, newspapers and on the radio. It's difficult to know what more we could have done.

He added: "The problems with the Sort-it line have been due to the sheer volume of calls, and obviously, with 60,000 properties involved there are going to be calls. We ask for patience and suggest people try to contact us earlier or later in the day. The lines are open 8.30am to 6pm."

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