Householders have been forced to pay hundreds of pounds for a private rubbish collectors after a council cut bin collections to just once every three weeks.

It emerged a businessman in Greater Manchester is charging £25 a month for his service as he claimed he is emptying 200 bins per day.

Outraged households say they have been left with no choice but to sign up for a collection that they should be getting for their contribution to council tax, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Some have raised fears of a fly-tipping crisis as cash-strapped councils are imposing the first monthly collections.

Josh Morris, a 25-year-old business man who is licensed to handle environmental waste, manages the bin collection service in Greater Manchester.

Mr Morris started in Bury, his home town, but has now expanded into nearby Rochdale and Oldham as a result of growing demand.

He told the publication: “I started with a van last year. Now I have three trucks collecting 200 bins a day.”

Mr Morris charges £25 to collect bins three times a month, or £12.85 for picking up rubbish twice a month. He donates 10 per cent of profits to charity. Rubbish is sent to a privately run sorting plant.

Corrie Warburton, a 33-year-old mother of two, said: “I do not like it because I have to pay my council tax as well. It is just not fair but there is nothing I can do about it. It is ridiculous having a collection only every three weeks.”

'We generate a lot of waste'

Wayne Lee-Oliver, a 31-year old paramedic, said: “With four young girls, we generate a lot of waste, including used nappies. It would be a health hazard to leave that sitting there for three weeks.

“I pay for three collections - the weeks the council do not come - on top of the £1,019 a year I pay in council tax. It is a bit of a struggle but we have no option.”

Government cuts have meant local authorities have looked at ways of saving millions of pounds, including reducing bin collections.

Council bosses argue this means families recycle more and in turn, this helps reduce waste.

A spokesman for Conwy Council said: “By collecting refuse less frequently, households are encouraged to make full use of weekly recycling and food waste collections.”