Fed-up householders are complaining that Wiltshire Council is being too slow to send out new recycling bins or replace old ones.

In the north of the county the council has switched to fortnightly household rubbish collections and interspersed them with better recycling pick-ups from new blue-lidded bins to bring it into line with the south.

But families who say they generate too much recycling for one bin have struggled to get extra ones delivered.

Mum-of-two Dawn Straughen, of Highlands Close, Corsham, was left furious after being told that she would have to have another baby to secure another general waste bin.

With a five-year-old daughter who suffers with bowel problems and a two-and-a-half year old son ill with chickenpox, Mrs Straughen had appealed for help as her bin was getting too full.

“It is absolutely ridiculous – I was told that to be given another bin, I’d need another baby,” she said.

“We recycle everything we physically can, but there’s still just not the room. We were told we could take our own bags to the dump, but I asked what on earth I pay council tax for if that’s the case.”

The council would not comment on whether Mrs Straughen was told to have another baby.

Mum-of-four Kirstie Russell, of Charter Road, Chippenham, has been waiting for weeks for an extra bin to arrive after requesting one for her family.

When no one returned her calls, she went to council offices and waited until a member of staff revealed there have been 25,000 requests for bins, but none to be given out – although a council spokesman contested the number, saying the number of people waiting is “in the low hundreds”.

“I’ve just had enough of them,” said Mrs Russell, who recycles everything she can.

“We have been recycling for years. As soon as I heard the system was moving to fortnightly collections, I applied for a bin straight away as I knew we wouldn’t be able to cope without one. I have been ringing at least once a week for the last six weeks as the bin never arrived, and no one has returned my calls at all.”

After visiting the council offices, Mrs Russell left with six stickers to indicate to refuse staff that her rubbish bags should be collected, but said leaving rubbish out in sacks attracts rodents.

“I had to fight for the six stickers, and I have no idea what will happen when they run out,” she said.

But Councillor Toby Stugis, Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services, said the move to fortnightly collections has gone “exceptionally” well. “We have had virtually no complaints, and we are just amazed in a way that we haven’t had the worries and complaints that we could have been expecting,” he said.

“It is really changing the amount that is recycled in North Wiltshire, and in that way, I think it is a good news story – a real success. We judge each application for extra bins individually, and where appropriate, we will provide them.”

A council spokesman said: “If residents feel they need additional residual waste capacity they should contact us on 0300 4560102 so we can provide guidance and establish the best option for their individual circumstances.”

* Have you been kept waiting for a new bin? E-mail awinter@gazette andherald.co.uk