PEOPLE whose rubbish is normally picked up on Mondays will have to wait until the following week for collections after bank holidays.

Until now, the week following a bank holiday saw delays in the rubbish collection spread over the next few days, so that the inconvenience was shared fairly among households in the Malvern Hills district.

Now this is no longer possible and the blame is being put on the split-load rubbish lorries used for the new recycling scheme.

Ivor Pumfrey, of Malvern Hills District Council, said in the old days, the council used to hire an extra dustcart to cope with the workload.

"It was easy to find one of the old-style vehicles to hire every time we had a bank holiday," he said. "But these new split-body vehicles are rare beasts and the hire companies just don't have any we can hire."

The council has written to households on the Monday rounds, warning them of the change in routine. It is thought about 6,000 homes will be hit.

While the change is good news for people whose bags are collected Tuesday-Friday, people on the Monday round are unhappy about it

Richard Bywater, of Callow End, told the Malvern Gazette he was more than a little disturbed by the change. He said: "Refuse left out for two weeks in high temperature is not only offensive to the nose but could also represent a health hazard."

Mr Pumfrey said the council was still seeking a long-term solution to the problem. Negotiations are taking place with staff and unions over the possibility of Bank Holiday collections.

"As the split-body vehicles become more common, the hire companies might get some and that would also help solve the problem," he said.

n No collections will take place today (Good Friday) or Easter Monday. On Friday, April 16, the council will collect black refuse sacks and purple sacks and on Monday, April 19, it will collect black refuse sacks and clear sacks.

Anyone with queries should call 01684 862151.