TWO weeks after contractors working for East Devon District Council refused to empty a Honiton man s wheelie bin because its lid was slightly ajar, the rubbish was still outside his house.

TWO weeks after contractors working for East Devon District Council refused to empty a Honiton man's wheelie bin because its lid was slightly ajar, the rubbish was still outside his house.

The lid closed after Jeremy Stamp's foot brushed against the bin while he was discussing refuse collections with a neighbour - on the same day contractors refused to empty it.

After 14 days in hot weather, the bin was infested with maggots and Mr Stamp was forced to re-bag the rubbish.

To make matters worse, he had to use a further bin to store new rubbish - and contractors refused to empty that one too, because it was not a bin provided by the council. Mr Stamp, 56, was not amused to find a further label stuck on his rubbish.

He ran after contractors, from Rosemount Close to Whitebridges, and blocked the road until they took it away.

He suffered an asthma attack on his return home.

"What they fail to understand is the bin East Devon District Council gave us was full of the last two weeks' rubbish," he told the Midweek Herald.

"How do I get a month's worth of rubbish in one bin?"

Mr Stamp added: "I dragged my spare bin, put everything in their (EDDC) bin, and ran to Whitebridges and stopped the binmen, and said 'You're taking this' - and they did!

"Maybe, blocking the road helped."

A spokesman for East Devon District Council said: "We have been in contact with Mr Stamp and have offered him some advice about the waste collection process and the bin lid policy.

"We have also apologised to him for any inconvenience that may have been caused due to the prolonged time it took for his waste containers to be collected."

Mr Stamp is adamant that he needs a further wheelie bin.

"If we've got to take cardboard and yoghurt pots to Sutton Barton it defeats the object," he said.