Residents say they feel like they’re living in a third world country, after problems with bin collections which have seen rubbish piling up in the streets.

It is now a month since Suez Recycling and Recovery UK took over the £152 million waste contract from Biffa in Swale, Maidstone and Ashford.

However, the service has been dogged by problems resulting in hundreds of complaints from fed-up residents.

Many collections have been significantly delayed, while some say they are yet to be visited by the binmen. There are also households reporting their waste collections were already overdue by the time Suez took over.

Swale council acknowledges people have been let down by the service.

A spokesman explained: “We are four weeks into our new waste service, and we know elements of it have not gone according to plan.

"We knew there were going to be teething problems, as there always are when undertaking a large change, but the service being provided is not to the standard we, nor our community, expect.

"Although the majority of residents have received the correct scheduled service, we are continuing to work with Suez to resolve a number of issues and are working on an updated, robust recovery plan, to make sure we deliver a better service.

"The waste collection crews have been working incredibly hard, undertaking catch-up rounds over the weekends, and Suez has also brought in additional resources to assist with the collection of everyone’s waste.

"We understand your frustrations and thank you for continuing to bear with us while we settle into the new service.”

"That is why we, and Suez, have apologised to the residents of Swale who have been inconvenienced by the shortfalls in the service over the past month."

Jane Collins lives in Warwick Place, Maidstone and says the situation remains unbearable.

"Our road currently resembles that of a third world country with our general waste not being collected for six weeks," she says.

"Bins are piled high and rubbish bags in piles all over the road.

"Foxes have emptied the bags everywhere and the health hazard is now through the roof.

"Rats have been seen among the huge amounts of emptied rubbish and it is impossible for cars to get off their drives due to the amount of bins and rubbish everywhere.

"With council tax costing close to £200 a month I am absolutely disgusted."

Meanwhile, Sittingbourne's Sue Taylor says her 96-year-old mum, who lives in retirement complex The Turrets in West Lane alongside 24 others, went nearly six weeks without any collection.

It led to "appalling" overflowing waste "smelling very strongly" - something she feared could cause her mum and residents "serious health issues".

Speaking just hours before they were finally emptied on Thursday (April 25), she said: "We think they were last emptied on March 15, so you can imagine how much rubbish had accumulated.

"Let’s hope they are back on schedule for normal collections from now on."

Last week, Kemsley's Mike Hutchinson made the decision to pay for private firm, RLL Cleaning Services, to dispose of his waste.

He has since been joined by Sheppey's Jacqui Collins.

The dog walker, who lives in Queenborough, has paid £20 for the company to empty her four bins.

She says she is likely to use the service again in the coming weeks after saying the amount of rubbish in Stanley Avenue led to it "blowing everywhere" and making the road look "horrendous" and "disgusting".

Businesses are also being affected by the fiasco.

Pub landlady Debbie Pettit, who runs The White Horse in Charlotte Street, Sittingbourne says she remains concerned about the weeks ahead after her bins finally got emptied last week.

"We're meant to have our waste emptied on a Friday, but when they came the other week they turned up on a Tuesday and took the wrong coloured bins.

"So I flew out of the house when I heard them coming but came back to find they hadn't emptied the right one.

"They were both collected this week though, but it's still been awful.

"It just doesn't look nice for a business having rubbish flying around outside, but you're also in limbo as to if or when they will come again soon which I worry about."

Some people have seen the funny side to the situation, though.

Sittingbourne Mum Zoe Potter made a spoof video in the style of a David Attenborough documentary, talking about a sighting of the elusive binmen as a Suez vehicle appeared in her road, which has since been widely shared on social media.

Zoe, 44, lives in Chetney View, Iwade with husband Sean.

The pair, who dress up as dinosaurs and run children's party and entertainment service Jurassic George, have lived at the property for nine years with their two children.

Sean says no information has been relayed to locals as to ongoing developments.

"Driving through the village loads of people in Iwade have not had their waste taken," he said.

"So it's been ridiculous with so many roads still not had their blue bins collected at all.

"There's been no real communication whatsoever too which is just acceptable."