ANGRY residents in a Johnstone street have raised safety fears over contaminated bins being left to overflow near their homes.

Families in John Lang Street blame the problem on residents from the Thorn Brae area, who are accused of placing the wrong kind of rubbish into recycling bins.

It is understood council staff have often refused to empty bins containing the wrong items.

One frustrated John Lang Street resident, who asked not to be identified, told The Gazette the issue has been ongoing since 2017.

“It’s now got to the stage where it’s the worst I’ve seen it,” said the resident. “The bins lie for ages unemptied and get piled up with bin bags, until either myself or one of my neighbours have to contact the council to arrange a special uplift.

“When it’s windy, the bins blow all over the place and it just looks like a slum. It’s disgusting.”

The fed-up resident, who said the bins are grouped together at a blind corner at the end of the street, believes the health and safety of local residents is now at risk.

“If you’re walking around the corner, you basically have to cross the road to get past the bins, so I think it’s an accident waiting to happen,” added the resident.

“There is rubbish blowing into a kids’ play park while we’re in a pandemic and we’ve also had rats running across the road.”

Residents in Renfrewshire are asked to put general waste in their grey bin, with paper and cardboard to be deposited in their blue bin and plastics and glass placed in their green bin.

There are also brown bins for garden and food waste.

Renfrewshire Council has confirmed there are ongoing issues with “contaminated” recycling bins in that area of Johnstone, which has meant staff being unable to collect rubbish.

A spokesperson said: “We have undertaken a number of additional collections to clear the contaminated bins but this is not sustainable and works against our commitment to recycling in Renfrewshire.

“We have been working closely with residents and Linstone Housing Association to try and resolve the situation and residents have been informed that they need to contact us if they wish to keep their recycling bin and, if so, take responsibility for its contents, its presentation at the roadside and its return to the storage area.

“We hope that this will ensure residents who want to recycle can continue to do so and residents who do not will use the general waste bin only.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and support residents living in this area to recycle wherever possible.”