RESIDENTS living in sheltered accommodation in Ronkswood, Worcester, are kicking up a stink after being told their rubbish will be left to fester at the bottom of their stairs for two weeks before being collected.

The residents of the flats in Cherwell Close have to leave their black bags in the foyer area where they used to be picked up weekly.

But now the city council's wheelie bin scheme has come into practice, the collection is fortnightly - despite the fact those living in the flats are unable to have wheelie bins for health and safety reasons.

Terry Clancy said it was disgusting situation.

"The bags sit on top of each other day after day and the smell is putrid," he said.

"We have to live with this at the bottom of our stairs. After a while, obviously the smell permeates into the flats. I can't believe in this day and age we are living in this stink and rubbish - I find the whole thing reprehensible."

Guy Powell, from the city council's operational services department, said the residents of the flats had been left on the old black sack system as it was not feasible to give them wheelie bins.

This is something that we are looking into with Worcester Community Housing in an effort to sort out the problem," he added.

"I appreciate it can be a pain but we are on top of it.

"As we move the wheelie bin scheme across the other two thirds of the city similar problems will crop up and we will then be able to look at maybe implementing different systems for these people."