BCP Council have given people advise to guarantee to ensure that their bins will be emptied properly over the winter months.

With dark mornings now upon us, the council are urging residents to leave their food waste, refuse and recycling bins in a clear and unobstructed location so refuse workers, working in the dark, can spot them.

Also, people are being warned that bins may be collected at different times so residents are being encouraged to keep their bins out until the end of the day to ensure they are not missed.

A spokesman from BCP Council said: “Your local refuse crews are out from 5am each morning, and at this time of day it's pretty dark in the winter.

“Please support your local refuse crew by ensuring that your bin is positioned somewhere clearly visible before 5am on your collection day.

“If a bin is hidden behind a bush or a wall it is more difficult for the team to see it on a dark morning, and it could get accidentally missed.

“It's also important to be aware that food waste in Bournemouth and Christchurch can be collected by a separate truck to your normal refuse and recycling. 

“This means that your refuse or recycling might be emptied first, and your food waste bin emptied later in the day, or vice versa. 

“So don't worry if not all your bins are emptied at the same time on your collection day - leave them out as another crew will be coming back later. 

“Please wait until after 11pm on your collection day to report a missed collection at www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/missedbin.”