COUNCIL bureaucrats have refused to pick up an elderly homeowner's rubbish for nine weeks because she leaves it at the bottom of her garden - where until now they have been happy to collect it for the past 20 years.

Binmen snubbed Elestr Donati, 73, after she was told by officials at Stroud District Council she could no longer keep her rubbish in a secure animal-proof container behind her gate but had to put it out for 'kerbside collection'.

This is despite the fact the country lane outside her rural home in Haresfield, does not have a kerbside and Mrs Donati is not always in residence when the rubbish is collected. Mrs Donati, who pays £160 a month in council tax, has had to resort to putting notices on her neighbour's rubbish sacks asking refuse collectors to pick up her rubbish.

Her recycling has only been collected five times since Christmas.

After calling Stroud District Council to plead for the collection service to be renewed she was told by one officer not to complain again.

"I have been living here happily for 35 years and I have never had any problems before now," she said. "I find it distressing because I am 73, I lead a busy life and I am now suffering from shingles which is very painful.

"I was told they would not accept any more complaints from me. I said "I am not complaining I am begging for a collection, please'. What is the point of being so unpleasant? "I do not know whether they will keep it up or not."

Council officers took the decision to withhold collection after visiting Mrs Donati's home to assess the situation.

Stroud District Council spokesman Dave Marshall said: "We have got 450 second home owners in the district, all of whom can leave their rubbish out on collection day. What they do is get friends and neighbours to sort it out.

"The problem is if we bend a rule for one we have got to do it for others which would significantly add to the workload of our contractors.

He added: "We do our best to give a good, polite and helpful service to the public."