Rubbish and recycling collections for villages served by Dorset Council’s Wareham depot are getting worse, according to one local councillor.

Owermoigne councillor Nick Ireland says he first complained about the service for Crossways and surrounding villages in October last year.

At the time he said there had been a 'drastic reduction of service levels relating to bin collections and particularly recycling collections experienced by my constituents in the Crossways ward and in neighbouring areas'.

He was told that the time that this was caused by a shortage of serviceable vehicles combined with a lack of qualified drivers at the Wareham depot.

At times it has meant some people having to wait a month for collections to be made.

Cabinet spokesman for the service, Councillor Tony Allford, said at the time the issue was first raised that there had been a number of vehicle breakdowns and problems recruiting enough drivers, with pay levels seen as an issue in attracting suitably qualified staff.

Cllr Ireland says he has followed this up on several occasions since but to little effect: “The service hasn’t improved; if anything it has got worse and I’m hearing the same from fellow members whose wards are served by the Wareham depot.

“I see no evidence that the vehicle situation has been resolved and have yet to be informed that we are now competitive in our (pay) offer to LGV drivers.

“Seemingly nothing has been achieved since the issue was raised; why hasn’t this been sorted and who’s taking responsibility to ensure it is?” he said.

He now plans to raise the issue at this week’s full council meeting on Thursday, September 3.