Martlesham anger at East Suffolk dog poo bins overflowing

Michael French noticed walkers' poo bags were lying on the ground near the bin by the village green, near the Douglas Bader pub.

The 71-year-old said other bins in the area have not been emptied for a week.

East Suffolk Council has said the bins are regularly emptied by East Suffolk Norse but the schedule has been affected by staff absences.

Mr French said he had complained about the issue "on numerous occasions" over the last week as the bins were "continuously not being emptied".

An overflowing dog poo bin in Martlesham (Image: Michael French)

He said: "It's been like this for the last week. Hardly any of them have been emptied – kids play at the park nearby.

"These are a health hazard. It's a popular dog walking area.

"I even sent the picture to the chief executive of the council."

An East Suffolk Council spokesman said: "We would like to apologise to anyone who has encountered a problem with dog waste bins in Martlesham Heath.

"This has been the result of some disruption to normal service due to recent staff absence.  

"We thank responsible dog walkers for properly disposing of dog waste and we are pleased to confirm that an East Suffolk Norse crew will be attending the area this afternoon.

"We work closely with our waste management partners to empty litter bins and dog waste bins with regular frequency, and to identify any missed bins and arrange for crews to respond.

"On some occasions, dog waste bins may get full more quickly. If public bins are full, we would ask dog owners to put their dog’s waste in a litter bin or their waste bin at home.

"If you notice the bin is damaged or overflowing, please report it to us through our website."