A MAN has rubbished Worcester City Council's new policy on collecting household waste after refuse men left his garbage rotting at the side of his house.

Alan Cupper had a leaflet pushed through his door outlining the new policy which insists householders leave rubbish bags on the property at the closest point to the road.

The 28-year-old left his at the side of his house - which he thought was the correct area.

But for the past two weeks dustmen have refused to take them.

Now he and his wife Anita, who is seven months pregnant, have been left with five rubbish bags piled up at the side of their terraced house.

Mr Cupper said it would be impossible to leave bags of rubbish at the front of the property because there was barely enough room for his two cars.

His complaint came hot on the heels of Worcester City Council's new scheme which has changed back door refuse collection to front-of-house.

"The council gave us a card last week saying that if we didn't put our refuse out the front next week they wouldn't collect it," said Mr Cupper, of Lambert Road, St John's.

"If we put them on the path close to the front of the house it would obstruct my neighbours."

In protest, Mr Cupper, director of Broadheath Construction Limited, has asked the council for a written indemnity against injuries sustained should people fall over rubbish stacked up outside the front of houses.

He dubbed the new service a "downgrade" and said he believed council staff could have interpreted the new rules differently to those suggested by the leaflet.

"It's an irritation," he said.

Mike Harrison, director of operational services at Worcester City Council said the new collection required rubbish to be placed on properties nearest to where dustcarts could pull up.

"This is to avoid men having to carry large quantities of rubbish at a distance," he said. "We can't make an exception for one person"

Mr Harrison said rubbish should not be left in roads for fear of blocking access.

"We've had advice from the legal department but we can't take out an indemnity because people would fall over rubbish deliberately," he claimed.