A MUM-OF-THREE claims she was left "drowning in rubbish" because her black bin was collected only three times since January.
Kirsty Taylor, 32, of Northwood Avenue, Chaddesden, said the waste was cleared the day after she threatened to take the matter to the Derby Telegraph.
Derby City Council said that the missed fortnightly collections were down to the fact that Mrs Taylor's black bin was broken and was often too heavy for the lifts on bin lorries to pick up.
It has said that, in recent weeks, it tried to contact Mrs Taylor about the problem but without success – something she denies.
The council said that, while contact was attempted, it cleared the bins and excess sacks "on a number of occasions".
Mrs Taylor said: "I threatened them with going to the paper, and putting the rubbish out in the street – which I never intended to do – and they came the next day.
"It had been 10 weeks since it was cleared and it was disgusting.
"I'd stacked up bags outside the house but three or four needed re-bagging because the foxes and cats got to them."
The problem was exacerbated by the public sector strike on July 10, when her bin was not collected again.
Mrs Taylor said that the threat to go to the Derby Telegraph was made on Friday and that the council turned up on Saturday morning to complete the clearance.
She moved to Derby on January 11 with her three children, Alfie, one, Tyler, two, and Jessica-Lea, 12.
The first clearance, she said, was organised by Derby Homes shortly afterwards.
The second was by the council in April and the third – a standard black bin collection – was carried out in the late spring.
A council spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the issues relating to this address and a supervisor had attempted to make contact with the resident over recent weeks, but without success.
"More recently, the supervisor has been able to discuss the issue with the customer and a solution has been agreed.
"The problem arose because the customer had a larger bin which was broken and often too heavy for the lifts on the rubbish removal trucks to pick up.
"While we were trying to make contact with the customer, the bins and excess waste was cleared on a number of occasions.
"A crew has now cleared the remaining excess waste and we have exchanged the large broken bin for two smaller bins, which provide the same capacity.
"We have also supplied extra bags for the resident."
