Public information about the introduction of controversial communal bins was "inadequate and flawed", a panel heard.

Councillors lined up to complain at the way Brighton and Hove City Council went about letting residents know of the proposed scheme.

They said the bins were agreed for the city centre before many people even knew about them.

And there were further complaints of a "shadowy deal behind closed doors" to decide where the bins should go.

Members of the council told a scrutiny panel into the bins consultation had been "too little, too late".

The three-woman panel held a long public hearing at Brighton Town Hall into the consultation last night. They have yet to hear evidence from residents who have also been vocal in their complaints.

The panel will prepare a report on improvements that should be made before any decision is taken to extend the bins system to other parts of the city.

But Councillors Jan Young, Joyce Edmond-Smith and Dee Simson do not have a remit to look at the success or failure of the bins.

That will be reviewed in August after six months of the experiment which is destined to last until February next year.

Regency ward Liberal Democrat councillor Dawn Davidson said: "Residents have been increasingly aggrieved by what they perceived was a totally inadequate and flawed consultation process."

She said the bins experiment went before the environment committee as a road traffic order.

Coun Davidson said she did not really know about the scheme until residents started complaining about a leaflet which told them the scheme was about to be introduced.

She described an exhibition which was held into the bins plan as too little and too late.

Tory Goldsmid councillor Anne Giebler said that because not many bins were in her ward she seemed to have been left off much of the consultation. In future cases councillors should be properly involved.

St Peter's and North Laine Green councillor Simon Williams said: "There are some very important lessons to be learnt by the council in how it consults.

"I make my points as a supporter of the concept of communal bins in selected streets - not as an uncompromising opponent of the wider scheme."

Coun Williams, who lives in a street with bins, said: "Many residents in the seven streets in West Hill, most of whom are in houses in multiple occupation, did not receive a directly addressed letter informing them about the trial."

But he added that even if the leaflet had been delivered properly, it did not amount to proper consultation. As a result the council was not properly aware of the level of concern.

Coun Williams described as "totally arrogant" the decision of the council in January not to exclude two streets, Compton Avenue and Alexandra Villas, from the scheme because of opposition.

He said: "This was defeated in a shadowy deal behind closed doors."

Regency Labour councillor Roy Pennington said in his ward as much consultation was done as possible given the constraints of time and money.

Environment director Jenny Rowlands said leaflets went out to all homes in the trial areas and two exhibitions were held.

The main point of concern among the 175 people who replied to consultation was loss of parking spaces, she said.

Changes were made to the scheme so that the proposed loss of 133 spaces was reduced to 47.

She said: "The council's waste survey in April 2002 identified a significant problem with black refuse sacks in the area."

After assessing reaction, it was decided to suspend the scheme in five streets - Powis Villas, Clifton Road, Norfolk Road, Montpelier Crescent and Victoria Road.

The scrutiny panel will meet again to hear residents' concerns before a report is put together.

Meanwhile, neighbours in the Hanover area of Brighton opened their council tax bills yesterday surrounded by the debris of almost three weeks worth of uncollected rubbish.

People living in the narrow streets the binmen appear to have forgotten were furious to find they were being asked to pay more money for services including refuse collection.

Jane Couldrey of Washington Street, Hanover, said: "The rubbish has been out for two and a half weeks and it has just spread up and down the street.

"At the same time we have just got a council tax bill for £1,000.

"I was talking to my neighbour who is from Beirut and they get their rubbish collected every day there but in Brighton we're not able to cope at all."