Britons face ‘waiting weeks’ for bins to be emptied after Labour ditch fortnightly collections – ‘Rubbish could pile up on the streets over Christmas!’

Britons will be left “waiting weeks” for their bins to be emptied after Labour abandoned plans requiring fortnightly collections.

Earlier this year, the Conservative government vowed to ensure that rubbish is collected at least every other week.

This is intended to produce statutory guidance requiring councils to at minimum collect waste fortnightly to “avoid malodour and attracting vermin.”

However, the rule was not introduced before the election, and now Labour has abandoned it.

New guidance on waste collection service put out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that “waste collection authorities should continue to decide collection frequency and methodology for collecting the residual (non-recyclable waste).”

It adds: “Waste collection authorities should continue to monitor any changes to collection frequencies to make sure there are no unintended consequences.”

However, it makes no reference to fortnightly collections.

Over the weekend, the Conservatives cautioned that Labour has now given the green light for bins to be collected only every three weeks or even monthly.

This comes as residents are facing council tax rises of £110 next year after town halls were given authorisation to increase rates by five per cent.

Shadow Defra minister Dr Neil Hudson told the Daily Mail that Labour has tried to “sneak” in the changes to bin collections, which would leave rubbish piling up on the streets during the holidays.

The shadow minister said: “This is an important issue for millions of people around the country. Keir Starmer claims he wants to fix the foundations, whilst giving carte blanche to councils to hike up taxes at the same time as cutting vital services. It is only Conservative-led councils that truly deliver efficient services like this while keeping council tax low.

“Keir Starmer’s Labour need to bin only one thing, and that’s this ridiculous change.”

Tory MP David Simmonds questioned Defra minister Mary Creagh this week in parliament if her policy was “that the minimum residual frequency for household waste collections should be two weeks.”

She avoided answering the question directly, and said: “Simpler Recycling will mean that people across England will be able to recycle the same materials at home, work or school, ending the confusion over what can or cannot be recycled in different parts of the country.”

Research by the Tories has found that the majority of town halls in Labour-run Wales collect rubbish less than fortnightly, prompting fears that areas of England will do the same.