Fed-up residents are forced to drag their own recycling bins 'for miles' to temporary collection sites after month-long strike by workers in Bexley left waste 'piling up' in streets

A union strike has forced fed-up residents to drag their recycling bins 'for miles' to pop-up collection sites.

Photographs show queues of people dragging their bins behind them along residential streets in Welling and Bexleyheath.

It comes after Bexley London Borough Council set up temporary collection points on Saturday to stem the backlog of rubbish caused by a month-long workers' strike. 

Waste has been 'piling up' in streets amid a shortage of workers caused by a dispute over pay that could go on until October if workers' demands are not met by contractors Serco.

And furious residents have shared their frustrations online after spending Saturday morning queuing to drop off their rubbish at trucks stationed in Nags Head Lane Welling car park, Avenue Road Bexleyheath car park and Nuxley Road car park from 8.30am to 1pm.

Photographs show queues of people dragging their bins behind them along residential streets in Welling and Bexleyheath

The Avenue Road site had to be closed early after an influx of residents filled the trucks, forcing the council to call out a replacement.

A council spokesman said: 'We apologise to those residents who visited the Avenue Road Bexleyheath car park location when it was closed early due to the trucks being full. Another vehicle did come along to help and collect the remainder of the recycling.'

It revealed more than '31 tonnes of paper and more than 27 tonnes of plastic' was collected during the five-hour window. 

Residents fumed online about having to do a job their taxes were supposed to pay for.

Saheser Karaoglan described the situation as 'unacceptable'. They added: 'Considering we are paying our council tax for a reason. Maybe we should all go on strike and not pay our council tax see how that works out. 

Furious residents have shared their frustrations online after spending Saturday morning queuing to drop off their rubbish at trucks stationed in Nags Head Lane Welling car park, Avenue Road Bexleyheath car park and Nuxley Road car park from 8.30am to 1pm

Residents queue next to overflowing bins to drop off their recycling at one of the three collection points

'My parents bins have piled up for weeks. One is disabled and the other is recovering from a heart bypass surgery yet they are expected to drag their bins for god knows how many miles to have them emptied out?! Bexley council you need to buck up your ideas.' 

Joanna Wagon claimed residents had been abusive to Serco staff at the pick-up points. She claimed one was even punched, adding: 'Taken my wheelie bin to be unloaded and discovered that some people have been really abusive to the Serco staff in the car park, these guys ARE NOT striking, they do not deserve any abuse. 

'One had a knife pulled on him, another has been punched. This behaviour is unacceptable, we are all fed up with the strike and the mess everywhere but do not put the blame on the few individuals who are continuing to work, in my eyes they are heroes. 

'Blame Bexley Council and blame the workers who are actually on strike who have been asking for a 10 per cent pay rise. Absolutely ridiculous in these times and apparently they will all transfer to the new company in October, what a joke.' 

Some residents teamed up to bring a number of bins in trailers, to prevent the elderly missing the opportunity to have their bins empties

Tina Bevan said: 'This made me emotional to see today. Elderly gentlemen wheeling their bins, young boys helping their mum and many of us driving over in our cars. On a positive note the bin men were extremely polite and helpful.' 

David Murrell added: 'This a joke, now we are doing the bon mens job for free. What about the people who live nowhere near these sites and the elderly. Council is a farce run by idiots.'  

Lorraine Breen said: 'Come on Bexley council, get this sorted, in this day and age this shouldn't be happening, people having to cart their bins around to empty them, it's absolutely shocking, elderly people trying to drag their bins along the road and traffic everywhere, come on get it sorted, the amount of council tax we all pay is a joke, for what service.'

Some 140 refuse workers employed by Serco have been on strike since July 12.

Many brought their bins in their cars as they had to travel a number of miles to get to the site

The recycling bins have been left to overflow amid a shortage of workers caused by a strike

Bin collections in Bexley are to resume from tomorrow while a deal between refuse collectors and their employer Serco is ratified.

Unite, the UK's leading union, said its members have voted in favour of the deal in principle but are waiting for Serco to carry out its promises before calling a complete end to the strike action.

The deal includes a one off £750 payment for 19 staff, contract changes that will reduce pay disparities and steps to prevent the weaponization of the drug and alcohol policy.

Unite regional officer Tabusam Ahmed said: 'We are pleased that a provisional deal has been reached following an improved offer from Serco.

'While the deal is being ratified, which we expect to happen by the end of the week, our members will go back to work and bin collections in Bexley will resume.

'Until this deal is enacted in full, however, strikes are being suspended not cancelled, and our members retain the option to return to the picket line if they need to do so.' 

Mr Ahmed previously claimed Bexley council's leadership 'appears to believe they are above having to deal with issues like clearing the borough's rubbish'.

He added: 'They are aware of how appallingly Serco have handled Bexley's street cleaning and refuse contract because they will not be renewing it when it ends in October. Yet the council sat back for 18 months while this dispute got worse and worse and are still doing little to nothing to end it.' 

A council spokesman said: 'It was great to see the community pulling together at this difficult time, with neighbours helping those who are unable to take their own recycling.' 

Graeme Waugh, Senior Contract Manager for Serco said: 'I am confident that, with the support of ACAS, an amicable resolution to the strike action in Bexley has been found. We are working on the details of the agreement currently and are delighted that residents' collections can recommence whilst this is being finalised.

'My team's focus has now shifted to delivering the missed collections catch up following the industrial action and we are pleased with the commitment from Unite to fully support us during this process.

'I would like to thank residents for their continued patience and support while we strive to return to the normal collection schedule as soon as possible and apologise for the recent disruption and inconvenience they have had to endure.'