Denise Ranson, 76, of Warren Drive, Ifield, came home last Tuesday to find her garden waste bin – which she pays an extra £40 a year to have emptied – was sitting full at the end of her driveway.

But when she rang the council she was told it was because it had some dirt in it and she'd have to take it out before they came back in a fortnight.

Angry Denise said: "I can't believe what they've done to me, I mean I pay £40 a year for this and they won't empty it because it's a bit dirty.

"Of course it's a bit dirty, it's garden waste.
"I'm a pensioner for goodness sake I can hardly move with a bad back, what's the matter with them?

"It's so heavy I have to get someone to move it to the bottom of the drive for me, how am I supposed to get it all out and take the dirt out?
"I just hope they never get old or are not in good health."

Denise, who has to have hospital treatment for her back, slammed the reaction she got from the council.

She said: "I spoke to the amenity tip people and they asked me if I wanted to make an official complaint, I said 'yes' but I haven't heard anything back from anyone.

"I'm so cross about it, I'm on my own here, I have to get my neighbour across the road or my grandson to come over and move the bin for me.
"I pay to have it collected because I can't take it to the tip myself, they've got to come and empty my bin or what am I going to do? "

A council spokesman said: "We did receive this as a complaint and we're looking into it at the moment.

"When we contacted our contractors about it they said there was mud in waste bin which we can't take away – it does say that in the literature – however a member of staff is going to go and visit Mrs Ranson today to sort the problem out.

"We'll talk to her about it and sort it out, we understand that she is a pensioner and she's having trouble moving her bins so we will probably speak to her about our assisted collection scheme where the bin men will collect it from her doorstep."