CHANGES to the collection dates of bins in Huddersfield are causing chaos for residents.

At the start of July, 50,000 homes in Huddersfield and the Colne Valley had their bin collection days changed.

Kirklees Council said it would make collection rounds more efficient.

Now residents in parts of Oakes and Lindley claim they have not had their green recycling bins collected for seven weeks - instead of the usual four.

Meanwhile, some households in Birkby have had two collections in just three weeks.

Oakes resident Christine Mitchell-Gabanksi, of Crosland Road, said she and her neighbours have not had their green bins collected for seven weeks.

Mrs Mitchell-Gabanski said she had realised this when the residents were first notified their collection days would change.

After first trying the council's environmental waste department, she contacted Lindley councillor Tony Woodhead.

She says she was then told the bins would definitely not be left for seven weeks. However, there has been no collection.

Mrs Mitchell-Gabanski said the change of collections has been badly planned.

She said: "I think it's unacceptable. As soon as we were notified, I realised there would be a problem. That was the week there was lots of publicity about how good Kirklees Council is at recycling.

"My green bin is overflowing and we are only a two-person family.

"I have recycables piling up in a bag in my kitchen which is not nice.

"I am a keen recycler but this could put some people off it."

She raised her concerns with senior council officers, but felt they were not interested.

She said: "I explained that I knew some people who had had two collections in three weeks and we had none for seven weeks.

"I'm sure if they reviewed the logistics it could be better organised.

"They said it was inevitable some people would wait longer. I thought the attitude was appalling."

A Kirklees Council environmental waste spokeswoman said: "There has been an unavoidable gap of six or seven weeks between collections due to the rounds being reorganised.

"We wrote to householders affected and said that some would wait longer for their next collection, but that others would have theirs sooner.

"Stickers detailing the next round of green bin collections will be put on bins from early August."

To find out how changes affect your grey or green bin collections, ring the council on 01484 414700.