Malcolm Fitzgerald, who runs the Raglan Quoit Club in Stuart Street, Hartlepool, said his usual bin collection was missed because of the council workers' strike last week.

As Malcolm continued to plead "on a daily basis" for the rubbish to be collected, the piles of waste which included leftover food from functions was left in an overflowing bin and bags in the club car park.

He claims to have been plagued with seagulls and flies, and says the state of the area where his bins are kept is affecting his custom.
Malcolm said: "It's disgusting.

"It's like being in a rubbish tip, we have food from the functions leftover as well as the usual waste generated in the bar.

"I didn't dare look inside the bins, they'd no doubt be full of maggots. The flies and seagulls around the place are bad enough. People are actually coming in through the back entrance to avoid it.

"It's certainly affecting trade."

He added: "I first contacted the council last Friday, after the usual Thursday collection was missed with the strike action, and a recorded message said it would be collected on Friday or Saturday instead.

"That never happened, so I rang again and was promised a collection for Monday.

"But the rubbish was not collected and despite daily calls ever since it was still just left.

"The normal collection takes place on a Thursday, so basically I have had a week's worth of waste left festering for a fortnight."

A council spokesman said: "Mr Fitzgerald has been in touch with us and we will be going out to take away the waste.

"Since the two-day strike last week we have been doing our best to catch up with the businesses that missed their collections.

"We did visit a number of premises on Saturday but some were closed which prevented us from collecting the waste."

The spokesman added that any business with similar problems could ring (01429) 523231.