Binmen refuse to collect open bins

Bin men are refusing to collect wheelie bins if lids are open more than half a centimetre on health and safety grounds.

Workers at Coventry Council have been spotted using tape measures to check lids, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Some bins, packed to capacity because of Christmas and bad weather, have not been collected for up to three weeks.

"My bin was only open a fraction but the bin men won't come back now until next week when it will have been three weeks since the bins were emptied and I'll have more rubbish," said Syd Jephcott, 63.

The strict new rules were introduced by Coventry City Council which claims it's concerned about "spillages" if bin lids are not firmly closed.

"It's for health and safety reasons and spillage reasons that we do not collect extra items," said Cllr Hazel Noonan, cabinet member for city services.

"There is a concern that spillage can occur as over-filled bins or bags are taken from the pavement to the road and injure people standing there. we have to be careful."

Office manager Bill Gough, 54, said he confronted the bin men who refused to collect his bin.

"I'm asking them to take away a few bits of extra wrapping paper - not dispose of nuclear waste," he said.