“WHY are we waiting?” is the cry from some residents in Wiltshire who are wondering why their clapped-out bins have not been replaced.

Some households are said to have been waiting months for replacements when the Wiltshire Council policy is to replace tired old bins within 20 working days.

Now three independent councillors are demanding answers.

Leading the assault is Councillor Terry Chivers who has written a list of questions for the next full council meeting scheduled for October.

“I’ve had about 20 complaints recently from people needing replacements,” he said. “The latest was from one resident who said he been waiting four months for a new garden bin.

“He was suggesting he might bag his waste up and dump it in the reception at County Hall.

“I can’t blame him for being upset. If we don’t get answers soon I might bag up his waste and bring it to the council chamber before the next meeting.”

Councillor Jeff Osborn added: ”Residents don’t ask to much from the council, but I do feel that providing bins and emptying them isn’t too much to ask. It is a basic right for all the residents of Wiltshire who pay their council tax.”

Helen Osborn, who is also an Independent councillor said: "It’s being suggested that the council are not holding stock which is causing the delay. I have heard also they are blaming the bad weather of last year for the delays”

However a council spokesman said internal inquiries had failed to find any general problem with bin supply. He said: “There was an issue with the green bins where the manufacturers had a problem but that was resolved some time ago. There might be the odd individual case of delay here and there, and we would apologies for that, but we don’t know of any general issues."

Wiltshire County Council is responsible for about 220,000 households in the county and each one is entitled to two bins and a black box recycling bin.