A FOOTPATH into Bournemouth town centre is being blighted with unsightly food debris and rubbish because residents are not provided with dustbins.

That’s the claim from one Dalkeith House resident, who said he has been asking for a simple rubbish bin for more than three years.

The flats are situated on the Dalkeith Steps, a popular pathway that leads from Richmond Hill into Christchurch Road.

Residents there are not provided with a bin, because there is no safe way for refuse collectors to access it. Instead, they have to leave their rubbish at a set collection point.

But Arguro Robles, who lives in the block, said this rule is not being adhered to, with the result that rubbish often spills down the steps into the town centre.

“It is disgusting to see food and rubbish all over the steps, as well as being a health and safety issue,” he said.

“I have been asking time and time again for a bin but just get pushed from pillar to post.”

Stuart Best, of the council’s street services department, said: “Dalkeith House is on our black bin bag collection route and currently residents must leave their rubbish at the specified collection point.

“This area is cleaned on a daily basis by our street cleansing contractor.

“There are currently no bins located on the premises due to government regulations that deem it unsafe for our operators to pull bins up and down steps.

“However, we do take complaints seriously and we will be undertaking a site visit to review the risks and to try and establish an alternative location for bins on the premises.”