Colony residents complaining about the district council’s new waste collection service have been told the service had ‘in the main’ gone smoothly.

A ‘cock-up’ is how one disabled Colony resident has described the council’s new waste collection service.

Wheelchair user Ann Prior, 71, of Egremont Road, said many homes were without the correct bins, or were left confused about where to leave them, when the changes over waste disposal were rolled out in Exmouth last week.

Mrs Prior claimed the East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) phone was ‘red hot’ with protests from disgruntled Colony residents complaining their bins had not been emptied.

The district council said teething troubles were to be expected with the introduction any new system.

Mrs Prior said a special collection was laid on by the district council following the complaints.

She said: “Some people in Rosebery Road do not have their new bins yet. Also, there were old bins stuck out in the lanes, with people even claiming they just did not believe the council would do something as stupid as expect them to be put out the front.

“These old bins were treated to standard notices - clearly no-one had prepared for the new system - which stated things like ‘It’s got no lid’ or ‘It’s got the wrong material in’ and so forth.

“None of it made any sense so EDDC’s phones were red hot with folk complaining that their bins had not been emptied.

“Said folk were told a special collection would be made as an exception, but that would be the only one. Sure enough, a collection was made.”

East Devon District council said the new collection was a ‘tried and tested’ system, which ‘in the main’ had gone smoothly, with the majority of collections taking place from the kerbside as planned.

An EDDC spokesman said: “In the Colony a small minority of residents put their bin in the alleyway. These bins were tagged so that residents were aware they were in the wrong place. The bins were then emptied the following day, as we would not expect the waste to be left uncollected without warning.

“With effect from the next collection, any bins that have been tagged and are once more in the wrong place will not be emptied.

“There were some issues with a number of bins being delivered to properties that should have received gull-proof sacks.

“Previous experience in other towns shows that any initial issues will be resolved very quickly and the process should settle down into a new routine quite soon.”

Anyone who received bins instead of gull-proof sacks is asked to contact EDDC on (01395) 571 515 to arrange for a replacement.