Picture Refs: 76872-35; 76928-30RUBBISH: FROM Old Town to Park North there are few areas that have escaped the confusion marring the introduction of Swindon's new refuse and recycling service.

There has been a catalogue of problems since the changes came into force.

Rubbish has been collected on the wrong day and some not at all, as reported in the Adver last week.

Binmen have been turning up when they are not supposed to and householders have been complaining about a general lack of information about the changes.

Some areas which should have had a recycling box did not get them, and others which are not part of the scheme did.

There were bound to be a few teething problems but now residents say it is unacceptable and are demanding the council cleans up its act.

On April 4, the first of around 30,000 homes across the borough prepared to take part in the new scheme.

But the re-organisation of the rubbish collection dates sparked confusion across the town.

One of the worst hit areas was Elgin Drive.

Residents had rubbish piling up outside their front doors, unaware the collection day had changed.

Since then the Advertiser has been flooded with letters from angry Swindonians who are fed up with the council's implementation of the system.

Former Mayor Derek Benfield thinks the authority should feel very embarrassed about the mess-up.

He said: "The lead member for Swindon Services who saw the operation through must have egg on his face.

"I think it was pushed through with undue haste. Did they rush it through before the General Election?"

Up to 9,000 homes should have had their waste collected for recycling each day under a structured collection programme.

Bright orange kerbside boxes are loaded with recyclable waste including paper, card, tins, foil, glass and even textiles.

Six teams with six specialist recycling vehicles were set to visit up to 1,500 homes a day, collecting them from outside homes.

But this has not happened.

Wroughton has been badly affected by the changes.

Ray Fisher, of High Street, Wroughton, cannot understand why he has been given a recycling box.

According to the information booklet High Street was not included in the scheme. He said: "It seems ridiculous, we get an orange box and can't use it.

"It's rather silly that we've got the boxes but are not included in the scheme.

"It seems the council don't know what they're doing."

In the centre of town residents are also experiencing problems.

Glynis Churchward, 57, Stanier Street, in the town centre, saw the problems began on the first day.

She said: 'Only five boxes were put out on the street, out of 40 houses.

"So it should have been an absolute doddle for them to collect.

"The council needs to supply a booklet in more languages because this is a very multicultural part of town.'

In Park North, residents who live in flats are not able to participate in the scheme.

Cathryn Garrett, 48, of Lindhurst Crescent, lives in a two-storey flat.

The warehouse worker for WH Smith, said: "I've got no means of going to a recycling base because I've got an injury and can't lift.

"Flats seem to get missed out.

"I can't see why the council can't pick up the boxes, I would put them outside."

Other residents do not understand why the council cannot collect normal rubbish, recycling and green waste all on the same day. Sue Bibb, of Callington Road, Oakhurst, said: 'I am going to have rubbish outside my house every day now.

'The really annoying thing is that the leaflet to tell you about the changes was inside the orange box.

"Unless you looked inside it you would not have had any idea about the changes.'

John Forster-Heatlie, of Thorney Park, Wroughton is so angry that he is threatening to stop paying his council tax.

The civil servant said people here were not given any details about the changes.

He said: 'I'm paying £1,000 a year and we are not getting anything back.'

He added: 'Swindon Council are a waste of space.'

Lyndsay Scanlan