Pensioner takes a sack of trash to Swindon council offices in protest over collection

A PARKINSON'S disease sufferer kick-ed up a stink at Swindon Council offices by taking an uncollected rubbish sack to its door-step in his wheelchair.

Pensioner Jim Broad-foot trashed the local authority, claiming staff keep on forgetting to take the bag he puts out once a week.

But Swindon Council says it has no records of complaints about sacks being left.

Binmen are supposed to pick up the rubbish from outside Mr Broadfoot's bungalow in Park North every Thursday but, yesterday, he saw that a sack was still there.

He says his rubbish is regularly overlooked and left there all week.

As a last resort, the frail pensioner decided to brave the cold weather and journey to Euclid Street to deliver the sack to council leader Mike Bawden.

"It happens every four weeks or so and I'm fed up with it," said the 73-year-old, who also suffers from arthritis.

"I've phoned to ask for someone to collect it but it's usually left there until the next collection.

"It makes me wonder what I'm paying my taxes for and I'm here today to get some answers. I want this sorted out as it's a health hazard."

The Advertiser joined Mr Broadfoot for the special delivery.

Following a warning that the pensioner was about to leave the building because he needed his medication, Mr Bawden eventually appeared.

Before the unscheduled meeting the council leader said he didn't like to be "ambushed" in this way but after waiting to be joined by John Short, the director of Swindon Services, he went to speak to the father-of-six.

In a final act of defiance, before returning home in a taxi, Mr Broadfoot refused to hand over the sack, saying he wanted council staff to go and collect it themselves.

Mr Short said: "No staff have received any complaints about this and we have no records of rubbish not being taken but we will make sure a person contacts him and looks after him."

As well as giving him the number of an officer that could help, Mr Broadfoot was advised to put a special disability card in his window asking refuse collectors to go inside and collect any rubbish.

This was not the first time Mr Broadfoot has had a run-in with the council as last year he arranged a meeting to stop them sending letters addressed to his dead wife, Mary.

Coun Bawden said: "People cannot just turn up because we need to make sure that the right people are here to help sort it out.

"We are happy to receive any correspondence or telephone calls from anybody wishing to discuss the level of service we provide."

Ben Payne