Residents react to enforcement of Bassetlaw District Council's flat bin lid policy

The local authority said it was taking a more "proactive" approach to its flat lid policy, with a red warning stickers being put on offending bins.

Council officials said it is enforcing the policy in a bid to keep its staff safe and encourage recycling. They said over-full bins can lead to litter being blown out and staff put at risk of injury from heavy loads or lids blowing in the wind.

Additional waste placed beside a bin will also not be collected.

Throughout January, the council has been placing yellow warning stickers on overloaded bins to advise residents that bins with raised lids will not be collected from February 1.

Any bin not collected can be put out for collection again as part of their regular cycle and will be emptied should the lid be in a closed position.

Readers have been sharing their views on the Worksop Guardian’s Facebook page.

Many people had similar views to Arl Tyson, who said: “We need bigger bins and more regular collection days then.”

Katie Barnard said: So no flat lid on a bin will mean not collecting the bin, so how are you supposed to get a flat lid with another two weeks worth of rubbish on top of it and why are we paying such an extortionate amount of council tax?

"And now they’re being tight with the refuse collection, both our bins are full every time so it’s a load of rubbish about recycling. The bins should be bigger. This will only end in more fly tipping what a joke.”

Another resident agreed, adding: “Wait six months and then we'll be hearing that Bassetlaw Council are having to up the council to deal with the amount of fly tipping that's increased as a direct result of this.”

Zoey Johnson branded it “absolutely ridiculous” because collections are still catching up from Christmas.

Claire Brockbank wrote: “Overloaded? If I can get my bin from my back garden to the front of my property, I’m sure the professional bin men and women can get it a few feet to the back of their wagon.

"Anyone would think they still had to carry them.”

Hilary James said: “We had a composting bin, unfortunately the local rat population thought we'd provided them with their own private restaurant. Needless to say we got rid.”