Angry residents in rubbish row.

OUTRAGED residents in Llandeilo have blasted Carmarthenshire Council for ''only picking their rubbish up when it suits them''.

Homeowners in Bank Buildings and Brynawel Terrace have slammed the council for leaving their refuse, which has been picked up just twice since Christmas, rotting outside homes.

They say they understand the weekly collections not being done during the cold snap, but they say the situation had started long before the snow came, and has not improved since, and they are now calling on council chiefs to act urgently.

Former town mayor Richard Wallace, who lives in Brynawel Terrace, said council officials had told him the lorry was unable to access the streets because of inconsiderate parking on the one-way road leading up to the houses.

But he has hit back, saying that a smaller truck could do the job.

He said: "I understand there is a problem with inconsiderate parking and hopefully that will be resolved when the double yellow lines go down.

"There is no reason why they can't bring a smaller truck or even go back down the one-way street the wrong way, like more and more drivers are doing.

"Whenever a skip lorry or big truck comes up, they go down the wrong way, so the council should.

"It is not on that we are going for weeks on end without having our rubbish picked up."

Mr Wallace said residents had been left putting their bins out in hope rather than expectation.

He said:"We're supposed to have it picked up on Wednesday mornings but they didn't come until Friday last week- and that was the first time they'd been in almost four weeks.

"I would urge people to park more considerately but the council can't use that as an excuse because there is a way around it.

"Councillor Ieuan Jones and John McAvoy from Carmarthenshire Council have been fantastic.

"But this issue needs to be sorted out because it has been going on for too long.

"I know other residents are on to the council and it needs to resolved."

Street scene senior area manager Mario Cresci said: "There is a problem with refuse/recycling vehicles accessing this area due to parked cars, and as a result we have been in discussions with residents asking for their co-operation on collection days. On occasions when we have been unable to access the street, the vehicle has returned when the area is clear of parked cars.

''The only occasion when the waste has been left uncollected was during the recent bad weather where there was a similar situation across the county.

Our colleagues in traffic have also been in discussions with residents.''