Cracks are appearing in a rubbish collection service after a council took back responsibility from a contractor.

Brighton and Hove City Council, unions and the majority of the workforce claim the service is now much better than when it was operated by French-owned Sita.

But parts of the city are not having their collections on the allotted days and experienced staff supplied by an agency are not being given regular work.

Dustman Joseph Kerr, who has not been given work since the council took over the service on October 15, said rubbish had not been collected from his home in Harmsworth Crescent, Hangleton, for two weeks.

There was also a delay earlier this week in collecting bins from Brunswick Square, Hove.

Mr Kerr, 39, used to work for Sita but returned to agency work when the council took over the service.

He said he and other experienced workers were not being given work because they were paid a driver's rate of £5. 20 an hour, while other less skilled workers were being taken on at £4.10 an hour.

He said: "I went on to the agency because I was told I could get more money but they are not employing me and are employing staff on lower rates.

"The service is getting worse under council control.

"The rubbish has not been collected from my home for two weeks. I phone up like any other resident, yet nothing is done.

"This is not really a new service because the same management that was in charge when Sita ran it is still around."

GMB union official Mark Turner said: "Using agency staff has always been an issue but there are no industrial relations problems between us and the council.

"Everything is going very smoothly and we are having regular meetings to iron out issues such as pensions."

A city council spokeswoman said: "There was a mechanical problem with a bin lifter on a lorry earlier this week which meant parts of the Brunswick area did not have their collection on the allotted day. This area has now had its collection.

"There do appear to be complaints about collections in the Hangleton area and we are looking into it.

"Overall, the number of complaints about missed collections are down."