Residents of a complex for the over 60s are the latest victims of a bin crisis sparked by a council switching contractors to a new provider.

Maidstone council was swamped with complaints after Suez took over the weekly waste bin collections from Biffa in March.

The £152 million contract sees Suez also responsible for collecting the waste in the Swale and Ashford, which both received similar complaints about missed collections.

In April, Suez’s general manager, Vinnie Masseri, apologised to the public and promised to sort out the problems.

Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) is Maidstone council’s cabinet member responsible for bin collection.

After repeated talks with the contractor, which said it had taken on extra crews and vehicles, Cllr English was hopeful the problems were nearly solved.

But now a group of pensioners from Headcorn have complained their communal waste bin has not been emptied for seven weeks.

Linda and Trevor Bush, who have lived at Culpeper Court, next to Days Green in North Street, Headcorn, for just over a year, are fearful the bin will soon start to attract rats.

Mrs Bush said: “The site manager has already moved the bin out of the storage cupboard where it is normally kept because the smell in there had got so overwhelming.

“We’ve written to the council and emailed them to complain on numerous occasions, but nothing gets done.”

The couple have also solicited the help of the new MP for The Weald, Katie Lam, who told them their situation was “utterly unacceptable” and that she would be on to the council on their behalf.

Culpeper Court is a private development of 17 flats plus a guest flat, all for the over 60s.

Mrs Bush said: “The service used to be fine under Biffa. It is only since the change of contract that everything has gone wrong.”

The bin was previously collected once a week, with a recycling bin collected every other week.

Residents have taken to passing on their rubbish to friends and relatives to dispose of in their bins.

Cllr English said: “I don’t think I have been contacted by the resident directly, as I would certainly have responded.

“It would seem that the remaining problems do mostly fall within two categories: garden waste or communal bin collections.

“I am happy to look into the problem for the Culpeper Court residents myself.”

Suez Recycling and Recovery UK was asked for comment but has not responded.