More bin chaos has left Deal's conservation area littered with household waste so bad that one visitor took her rubbish home to London to discard of it.

Refuse collection contractors Veolia failed to collect bags from Middle Street on Friday making it the latest in a long list of district-wide delays since the company revised its timetable in April.

By Saturday pests had attacked some of the bags leaving piles of trash over one of the town's most picturesque streets.

Bryan Henderson of neighbouring Farrier Street said on Saturday he spoke to one homeowner who was returning to the capital.

She told him she was going to leave her bin bags on the pavement as normal but as she was not able to book a slot in the tip, she would have to take it home to London.

Dover District Council has again apologised for the delay which it said was due to access problems and promised bags would be collected today.

Middle Street stretches from King Street to Sandown Road and consists of around 200 terraced homes and includes two pubs.

It was Kent's first Conservation Area, designated in 1968, and since that time the boundary has been extended three times.

Collections used to be Monday, then it changed to Friday in April with no reported issues, while other streets were plunged into chaos.

Mr Henderson, who took pictures of the mess, added: "It's not like there's a lot of properties in the conservation area!"

Our reporter also took a picture on Saturday and this morning (Monday) North Deal councillor Susan Carlyle of Deal Town Council, said: "Middle street in the conservation area is an appalling mess.

"The response from DDC is nil."

She said residents have had to scoop up litter from the bags that had been split, but as most homes have put out at least two bags, access for pedestrians is compromised.

She added: "I think if you privatise services you mess up the district as well. The private company did it as a desktop exercise not taking into account the existing rounds.

"People are logging on or phoning up and being told their rubbish has been collected because that's what the computer system says and it hasn't been collected.

"They're having to argue this with the company.

"It's even worse because it was half term week and there were more visitors here..."

"We should have a proper collection service that's run buy the council and they are accountable to the council in a direct fashion."

A resident, who doesn't want to be named, said: "This week food waste was collected and then nothing else happened.

"I phoned last week and was told they would come on Friday. I phoned again today and the lady was rather surprised they had not been collected. Her computer said they were collected at 2.02pm on Friday when they weren't.

"It's even worse because it was half term week and there were more visitors here. There were people taking photos and there were comments overheard that they weren't expecting this in the conservation area.

"It's disgusting."

It comes as politicians and volunteers in Deal and St Margaret's took to beaches to clear up litter this weekend including MP Natalie Elphicke, district council leader Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Cllr Martin Bates, Cllr Oliver Richardson and Parish council chairman Cllr Rebecca Simcox.

Mrs Elphicke has been asked to comment on the failed collections and the effect it's having on affected streets.

"The changes have let residents down, and let down Dover District Council who did a terrific job in keeping doorstep collections going during the pandemic..."

She said: "A number of residents have raised concerns about doorstep collection changes by Veolia that have seen rubbish uncollected on hot days.

"The changes have let residents down, and let down Dover District Council who did a terrific job in keeping doorstep collections going during the pandemic.

"I understand the council have put in place a new system to report missed collections and to raise complaints.

"I would encourage residents to go online and log all issues, so that the Council have all the information they need to make sure Veolia are quickly providing a better level of service for our area.”

Meanwhile litter is piling up at Sandwich Bay.

Writer and historian Gregory Holyoake said: "The piles of rubbish at Sandwich Bay are a disgrace!

"No one will take responsibility for their removal. After all the hard work of the beach cleaners fifteen months ago."

A spokesman for Dover District Council said: "We apologise that waste collections were not completed on Middle Street in Deal on Friday, as there were access issues.

"The crews are returning again today."

Veolia faced the council late last month and claimed the fiasco was behind them.

It admitted failings in its computer system for both timetables and the reporting of problems.

At that meeting Cllr Bates said the mess up was "reputationally bad" for both Veolia and DDC and added: "one letter on the website is not sufficient."

The company has been asked to comment today.

Read more: All the latest news from Deal