One of our community's two green wheelie bins was dumped haphazardly in the middle of the courtyard with a gummed orange flyer stuck atop on Friday morning - inscribed with half a dozen varying reasons why the aforesaid bin has not been emptied – and specifically informing residents to 'reduce the weight of the bin' if we want it emptying – supposedly by removing rotting garden and kitchen waste – but offering zero suggestions on where to place this purported excess.

For the record, Burlington Court is comprised of 4 blocks of 6 flats each and equipped with a mere two small 39 inch high green wheelie bins to service a total of 24 families and extensive gardens – a factor now further impeded with the once-efficient weekly emptying schedule reduced to a pathetic fortnightly routine.

The incident resulting in the above was observed by myself and other residents, with one of Trafford Council's contracted recycling technicians (sic) attempting to half-heartedly pull the wheelie bin with one hand while clutching a sports drink in the other.

He then left the bin in the middle of the courtyard driveway to consult with a fellow worker, who, interrupting his text messaging process and while still holding a cell phone in one hand, performed an off-the-cuff risk assessment by tipping the wheelie bin at an angle, then promptly agreed it was beyond their limp-wristed physical capabilities to wheel to the waiting bin cart some 10 meters away for emptying via the hydraulic lift facility – so simply left the bin blocking the driveway.

Upon actual inspection by residents the abandoned bin was revealed it to be merely half full (a factor recorded photographically) – thus what manner of objection to emptying such might arise if it was full can only be speculated upon.

This is a green wheelie bin – designated with a Garden & Kitchen Waste' logo – and containing nothing else but 'garden and kitchen waste' – and further devoid of the customary Orwellian bureaucratic dictatorial directives – such as 'Light garden and kitchen waste only' – nothing heavier than dry fallen leaves, empty egg shells and the odd half-burned round of toast caked with left-over baked beans.

To wit, our small community is charged the exorbitant sum of £28,000-plus in council tax per annum and we can't even get a half-full green wheelie bin emptied if some one-handed jobsworth labourer, bestowed with the pretentious title of recycling technician, has the unqualified arrogance to strike an arbitrary decision that it's too heavy to wheel down the asphalt to the bin truck while he's holding a soft drink or one of these ubiquitous cell phones – or MP3 player or electronic cigarette - in the other.

Alas, this is a further example of the EUSSR's Health & Safety protocols gone overboard when we reflect on past days of local authority employees – aka Binmen – who toted galvanised iron dustbins over their shoulder down the back entry's and alleyways of terraced rows and lugged them to the bin cart, physically discharging the contents – hot cinders and all – into the side loading points – then returned them to their rightful place of origin – unlike these contracted apathetic imbeciles who leave the bins anywhere but their rightful and designated storage area – specifically where they got them from.

As to the 'One Trafford' boast of 'excellent investment efficiency' we've seen better organised riots – specifically so when I, a 67-year old pensioner, was able to move the green wheelie bin in question back to its customary storage point with zero effort - and one-hand – while lackadaisical wheelie bin service contractors a third of my age find such a task beyond their physical scope.

To conclude, if the green wheelie bin in question is not emptied and becomes full to overflow level, then council tax payments will be held in abeyance until such is emptied, and if this asinine imbroglio is brought before a court of civil law, then so be it.

Yours in disgust,

T. Rustige

Altrincham