RESIDENTS have been forced to take their household rubbish to a tip after a council failed to collect any waste over the festive period.

North Lanarkshire Council didn't to collect any bins over Christmas and New Year leaving some areas strewn with rubbish.

Locals have been forced to transport their waste to the local skip to avoid it overspilling onto the pavements and blocking walk ways.

Maggi Taylor, lives on Spruce Road in Abronhill area of Cumbernauld, and has been left at her wits’ end after a pile up of rubbish on her doorstep is now into its second week.

She said: “I was told to put the blue bins out a day early during the Christmas week so they should have been emptied Christmas Eve but nothing was done.

“After that I was told to fill out an online form for a pick up.

“The council responded to say I was to leave the rubbish kerb side and it would be emptied but again, nothing happened.

“On Hogmanay week, we were told to put the black bins out a day early but they were just left untouched.

“The blue bins were due out

again on Sunday but, of course,

they are still outside from Christmas Eve.

“We have been going to the tip but other don’t have cars so black bags are piling up and bursting so there’s all sorts lying around.”

Residents have voiced concerns that the situation could soon become a health hazard fearing that rats and foxes from the nearby woods could be attracted to the rubbish.

One local suggested that they should only pay part of the full council tax bill if the waste is not uplifted on time.

Issues with uplift have also been experienced by other across the area, including in Calderbank and Dumbreck.

Fiona Avis, from Cumbernauld, took to the North Lanarkshire Council social media to complain that recycling and black bins had not been emptied since Christmas Eve.

It was claimed that after the council uplifted the rubbish, there was still leftover waste strewn around bins which have yet to be collected.

She said: “Some of our black bins were emptied but honestly the mess that has been left behind is unbelievable.

“I phoned again on and they say that someone will be out to look at it.”

Another Spruce Road resident said: “Just literally checked North Lanarkshire and NONE of the bins have been emptied from Spruce Road in over two weeks.

“Shall I send you my fuel bill for the amount of trips I’ve had to make to the skip? Place is a smelly, hazardous eyesore with the overflowing bins and burst bags at the foot of people’s gardens!”

A council spokesperson said: “We apologise to the resident that her household bins were not collected over the festive period, and are looking into the reason for this.

“The bins in this area are scheduled to be collected on Saturday and we will ensure that both bins are emptied.”