HOUSEHOLDERS who leave their rubbish on the streets before the collection day could find themselves in court for causing an obstruction on the highway.

There was a complaint at last week's Abergavenny Town Council meeting about rubbish strewn around some streets in the town so the Chronicle contacted David Harris, head of waste management at Monmouthshire County Council.

He said if they had representations made to them about this kind of problem then staff would knock on the doors of the residents involved and advise them about the law.

He said:"The Environment Protection law allows householders to place refuse outside their homes on the day of collection only. If bags of refuse are put outside at any other time that would be classed as an obstruction of the highway and they could be prosecuted under the Highways Act."

He said in the first instance staff would warn the residents responsible, but if the problem persisted then the council would prosecute. This has already happened in some areas of the county. "We've been knocking on the doors of people who are less caring about the environment and most of them take notice of the warning. There will always be a few who don't."

At the town council meeting Councillor Marion Pearse said she had a problem in the area which she represented. She said: "It could be a problem that affects all councillors. It certainly affects those who live in terraced houses. When we go to fortnightly collections it will have a knock-on effect on us.

"People are putting out their rubbish three or four days before the collection day and I have been picking up the rubbish after complaints from people, because it is spread by rodents, cats and foxes, then things get kicked around by drunks. I am concerned about when we go to fortnightly collections, not everyone will know about it."

She said a lot of people put out their bags early because they had nowhere to store it.

Councillor Douglas Edwards said Monmouthshire County Council would be issuing a leaflet advising all householders about the new collection days. He said: "I am surprised that a problem has been created in Councillor Pearse's area. My black bag used to be full but it is not any more because I have green and blue collections on Fridays and red, purple and black collections on Mondays and I don't put a black bag out every week. I am impressed that houses seem to have a minimal amount of black bag waste."

Councillor John Prosser suggested that Councillor Pearse might like to liaise with county council officers over the problem, but added that he did not think the fortnightly black bag collection would present any problems.

Councillor Roger Harris said: "People in Councillor Pearse's area are being irresponsible and causing the problems. There is no excuse for putting out rubbish three, four or five days ahead of collection. We are told not to put it out before 7pm the previous evening. Sanctions or naming and shaming people is maybe the only way to cure this problem and show them it is unacceptable."

Councillor Pearse said she had also encountered problems with people putting out good clothes in black bags and putting their food waste in the black sacks instead of the blue boxes specially designed for leftover food. "It is about changing people's behaviour but I don't want to be the one to knock on people's doors."

Councillor Harris pointed out that there is a special nappy collection service coming and all the details will be printed in the leaflets to be distributed by the county council but it remained to be seen if some people used it.

Councillor James George said: "It s a brilliant scheme providing everyone uses it. I have promoted a roadshow event in places where people cause problems and MCC officers will knock on doors.

"Monmouthshire Housing Association has an agreement in their tenancy that new tenants have to agree to recycle."