Bin problems are fast becoming as much a tradition of summer in Brighton and Hove as sticks of rock and pier jumpers.

As temperatures soar, traders and residents get hot under the collar about the city's apparent inablility to deal with its refuse.

The sorry saga of Sita's failure ended when the French firm was sacked in 2001 but the problems continue.

Now restaurateur Mamoud Bartoli is trying to garner support for a legal action against the city council.

While it is easy to sympathise with his anger, the action is flawed.

Even if it was successful, a court challenge would only drain further resource from the council's coffers.

The rubbish problem this year is certainly on a lesser scale than 2001 and improvements are apparent from last year.

But the council's in-house team, which took control of bin collection when Sita was sacked, is still not satisfying everyone.

It is only to be expected that those whose livelihoods depend on tourism will continue to kick up a stink until the council cleans up its act.