RESIDENTS have been left with overflowing bins during some of the hottest days in the country for years.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and its bin collection contractor Veolia have said that vehicle breakdowns and staff shortages has meant a number of areas in the borough have not had their bins collected in the past fortnight.

On Tuesday last week, the borough council issued an apology for any inconvenience on its Facebook page, but many residents said their bins had still not been collected.

Commenters on social media have claimed there have been issues in Old Basing, Sherfield Park, Winklebury and Tadley, among others.

Leader of the Basingstoke Labour Group, Councillor Paul Harvey, is calling on the council to give answers as to why this issue has occurred.

As previously reported in The Gazette, the council’s current waste collection contact with Veolia runs out in October and will be taken over by Serco.

Cllr Harvey said: “We want to know why the contract has failed in the last month. We recognise the pressures on those in the waste service, but residents want clear answers.

“They (the borough council) need to get a grip on the situation before the contract changes hands and they have to give guarantees that this type of situation will not happen again.”

The borough council said it is doing all it can to make sure collections are made.

Cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, Cllr Hayley Eachus, said: “The issues have focused around vehicle breakdowns and staff shortages.

“Our contractor Veolia has and continues to work hard to resolve these issues and has brought in additional vehicles to support the service.

“The company is working with agencies to recruit to the vacancies and existing staff are working additional hours, including Saturdays, to collect residents’ bins and bags.

“In most situations these are being emptied on the scheduled collection day, however there may be some occasions when they are unable to collect as planned and will return the following day instead.

“Veolia is also working with our new contractor Serco, which will take over the contact in October, to ensure a smooth transition.”