A COUPLE came unstuck with council officials - after binmen refused to empty their wheeled bin because it was half-full of old bathroom tiles.

David and Debra Hosker, of Birchencliffe, said a plumber carrying out work on their bathroom had put the tiles in the grey bin.

But Kirklees Council binmen refused to empty it, saying the tiles constituted "builder's rubble".

Now, the Hoskers, of Lindley Avenue, have complained about the decision, saying that council policy on what can and cannot be collected is unclear.

Mrs Hosker said: "The first time they left the bin, I rang the council and was told it should have been emptied.

"This week, I saw the binmen look in the bin and leave it again.

"Now, I have been told to take the tiles out and arrange for the bin to be emptied before the next collection day - and to dispose of the tiles another way."

The couple have two children, four-year-old Katie and 12-month-old Ellie.

Mrs Hosker said: "The tiles are now under other household rubbish, including dirty nappies and leftover food.

"I don't see why I should have to put my hands in the bin if they can't even push it from the pavement to the bin waggon."

And she added: "If tiles are classed as builder's refuse, what else won't they take? What if the bin is full of old wallpaper because we decided to redecorate?"

Mrs Hosker said that if she had put the tiles under other rubbish in the first place, the binmen would have been none the wiser.

She said: "I know someone who buried half a bag of cement at the bottom of their bin - and they emptied it."

Roger Wilson, of Kirklees Council's environmental services, said the plumber should have known that the tiles were "trade waste", rather than household waste, and that a charge would be made to remove them.

He said most household waste was now burned to generate energy. Tiles were not ``burnable" and could even damage the incinerator plant.

Mr Wilson said the council also had to consider the safety of the binmen.

He said: "A bin half-full of tiles would be very heavy.

"In these days of litigation, our binmen are instructed not to deal with a heavy load, where they might injure themselves, but to report it to their managers."

Mr Wilson added that stickers on the grey bins explained what kind of waste was acceptable.