KIRKLEES refuse workers refused to cross a road to empty a bin – because it was against their health and safety rules.

And the amazing response staggered a local man.

The resident of Almondbury Bank has told The Examiner he went out to ask for his bin to be emptied after his collection was missed last Friday.

But the man, who does not want to be named, said bin men snubbed his request, telling him they were only allowed to work on one side of the road.

He said: “It’s absolutely pathetic, it’s beyond a joke.

“They keep failing to empty my bin, it’s not been emptied since Christmas.

“I’ve rung up four times in one day and I got cut off three times but it’s still not been done. “It’s three-and-a-half weeks since it was emptied and they haven’t bothered to come.

“So when I saw them coming down on the other side of the road I said ‘excuse me, you’ve missed my bin’.

“One of them was about to cross the road when the driver called him back and said it was against health and safety...it’s absolutely crazy.”

A Kirklees Council spokeswoman said: “This road is split up into several different rounds and because of its width and the fact that it is very busy, crews work in one direction only.

“We apologise for missing this bin and would urge the householder to ring 01484 414700 to arrange for it to be picked up”.