THOUSANDS of bin collections have been missed across the city in the first six months of the year, figures show.

Fed-up residents have reported waiting for several weeks for Cityclean workers to empty overflowing bins in Brighton and Hove.

Last month The Argus reported the company had teething problems with new lorries which “struggle in the heat”.

Cityclean denied having staff shortages but said the number of drivers available can affect the collections. It also pointed out its budget has fallen by 11 per cent since 2015, from £11.5 million to £10.3 million.

Workers on the ground have also reported difficulties with access in some areas, where parked cars on both sides can leave roads blocked for bin lorries.

The council has vowed to “crack on and sort it” but so far this year there have already been more than 3,700 missed collections reported to the authority.

A Freedom of Information request by The Argus revealed that in 2017 there were nearly 8,000 reports of missed collections.

In the first six months of this year the figure stands at 3,770 and there have also been 150 reports of overflowing communal bins.

Linda Richardson lives in Warren Avenue in Woodingdean, one of the worst affected areas, where some residents waited for six weeks for their waste to be taken away.

She said: “I’m not surprised, there are so many areas being missed. It seems like they are permanently trying to catch up.

“I’d like to know, is it going to improve? Are there going to be bin lorries that aren’t affected by the heat?

“It has been a bad year but is this what we are going to expect from now on?”

More recently, Chris Vinson of Pembroke Crescent, Hove, reported bins have not been collected for a fortnight.

He wondered if there was a “secret bin workers’ strike” taking place, and said: “The bins are now on the verge of overflowing and the street is stinking from the smell of bins left out in the scorching summer heat.

“The garbage hasn’t been collected from Pembroke Crescent in Hove for almost two weeks.”

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the city’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: “We realise these figures are too high and we apologise for the inconveniences they have caused our residents.

“We have set in motion a series of fundamental changes to address these issues.

“The changes we are introducing will also mean the recent problems the service has been having will not become ‘the new normal’, but instead residents can expect improvement in future.”