Residents living in the Canterbury district will temporarily be allowed to have two extra sacks of rubbish collected each week.

The move - announced by Canterbury City Council this afternoon - is hoped to reduce a build-up of household waste and to offer a lending hand to homeowners.

From next week, binmen across the city, Herne Bay and Whitstable will take a maximum of two extra sacks as well as empty the wheelie bins.

The council says it realises households are "starting to struggle with excess rubbish" and will do everything it can to deliver the revised collection service.

The two extra bags can be filled with either general waste or garden waste. Electrical items are not allowed.

A council statement reads: "There are several reasons for this - we're all at home so are generating more rubbish and delivery packaging, there's lots of extra gardening going on and the household waste recycling centres are currently closed.

"To help with this, from Monday we will be able to take away a maximum of two extra black sacks of rubbish outside of the bin, per household. If you are on weekly sack collections, you can put out two extra ones.

"If you put out more than two extra sacks, we will only take two of them. This is to make sure that we can collect everyone’s waste.

"This 'side waste' will be allowed at each weekly collection initially until Monday, May 11 regardless of whether it is black bin or recycling week. The collection of the extra sacks will not necessarily take place at the same time of day as the regular collection."

The council, which review the system in two weeks' time, admits "problems may occur and some roads may be missed".

The statement continues: "We are doing our best in difficult circumstances and will clear as many extra sacks as we can.

"If, sadly, we do not manage to get to your sacks, please do not report them as a missed collection. Instead, take them back inside and try again the following week."

Green bin collections remain suspended across the district.

The move comes after the council thanked residents for their kind messages of support to binmen which are on display at the Serco offices.

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