Colchester City Council have responded to concerns

In Queen Elizabeth Way, Berechurch, there has been a build-up of recycling which is not being collected and has been left for around two weeks.

One resident, who is suffering from these recycling issues, Zena Carden-Edwards, said: “There are 18 flats that use the bins out the front and if they aren’t emptied they fill up quickly.

“They haven’t been collected since the beginning of last week, I reported a missed bin collection as they tell you to.

“Because the bins are overflowing, I’m not putting it out and I now have a hallway full of rubbish, so when they take it, it will be full up again straight away.

“We’re encouraged to recycle, and this discourages us from doing it.”

Overflowing - Bins in the area are causing residents bins to overflow (Image: Dave Harris)

Berechurch ward councillor Dave Harris added: “It’s not the first time this has happened and the pictures would certainly discourage people to recycle.

“People I know are genuinely concerned about climate change.

“The council should have found another way, like another neighbourhood team to drop by and even take the top off the rubbish which has stacked up.

“There are around 50 houses affected on my estate alone and I hope there isn’t other areas being affected.

“People expect to get their rubbish and recycling picked up and its sad as it is so important for the recycling to be collected.

"There isn’t enough front-line staff doing this type of work.”

Colchester Council said the delay has been due to an "unusually high number of waste vehicle breakdowns".

A spokesman said: "Our team has been working to address these mechanical issues and ensure that we can pick up missed collections as soon as possible.

"We are pleased to confirm that the delayed recycling collections have been rescheduled and will be completed on Wednesday, July 24.

"We appreciate the patience and understanding of our residents and remain committed to providing efficient and reliable waste management services."