Anger is mounting today over a major shake-up of household rubbish collection in Worthing.

From June 23, the borough council wants residents to stop putting rubbish in back alleyways and place refuse bags outside the front of their homes.

But people are worried that elderly residents and the disabled won't be able to cope with shifting heavy loads.

And there are also fears that many people will leave the bags out overnight, allowing them to be ransacked by seagulls, cats and foxes, spreading litter all over the borough's streets.

Worthing resident Jo Alabaster said: "Those of us living in terraced houses will have to carry bin sacks from the back passage through the house to the front, as there is no side access to the house.

"This is utterly unacceptable and means that there will be some who leave their bags out all the time.

"We currently have to use dustbins to stop the seagulls attacking the bags, so carrying a dustbin through the house is also not acceptable."

Alan Salter, of Windsor Road, Worthing, said: "What is this going to do to the street scene?"

But Councillor Peter Green, spokesman for the environment, said collecting bin bags from alleyways was time-consuming and created too many risks for dustmen.

He said: "Not many people want to keep their alleyways in a good enough condition.

"We also need to expand recycling without putting up the council tax. We won't need so many people collecting if we only have to go to the front of houses."

Coun Green added: "At times it will be unsightly but, then, rubbish is unsightly."