POOLE'S rubbish row is rumbling on as confusion reigns over recycling collections.

While Borough of Poole is finally catching up with collections after some residents waited three weeks to see the back of their rubbish, the misery isn't over.

Hundreds of householders across Poole dutifully put out their recycling bins, and additional sacks of recyclables - only to discover that they will not be picked up for a further seven days.

The uncollected bins could be seen throughout Canford Heath, Hamworthy, Oakdale, Canford Cliffs and Parkstone this week.

Anthony Watkins, a delivery driver from Canford Heath, said: "People assumed with the backlog they'd pick them up. They put four or five bags out on the pavements and grass verges. They're going to leave them out until next week now they're so fed up."

The confusion stems from two weeks of missed collections. Bad weather saw recycling collections cancelled in the week before Christmas. That was followed by the annual refuse collection break between Christmas and New Year.

Baffled residents assumed their fortnightly collections had been postponed.

But instead they discovered they had been cancelled altogether - leaving a four-week gap between collections.

The council insisted it was just sticking to the usual rotas and homes due a recycling collection in the week before New Year would have one next week, commending January 10.

But one angry Hamworthy resident pointed out that in previous years, stickers left on the bins before Christmas advised residents of their next collection dates.

"Virtually the whole of Hamworthy got this wrong because Borough of Poole didn't keep us informed by way of a simple sticker," she added.

"How much does a sticker cost?"

Cllr Don Collier, cabinet member for the environment, said he understood the confusion caused but insisted information about rescheduled bin collections was "widely publicised on our website and in the local media". He urged people to check the boroughofpoole.com website.

The council said crews had been working from 6.30am to 10pm every day this week to clear the backlog, collecting 400 tonnes of refuse and a further 100 tonnes of recycling on Thursday alone - more than twice the usual amount.