Staff shortages blamed for missed bin collections in Hawick

Scottish Borders Council has apologised after bin collections in rural areas of Hawick were missed on Tuesday, October 3 – with a warning of further disruption to the service over the coming weeks.

A lack of staff and vehicle breakdowns has been blamed for several missed refuse collections over recent months.

The areas of Hawick affected by the non-collection today included Crowbyres, Redheugh, Hermitage, Mosspaul, Merrilaw, Roberton, Parkdale and surrounding areas.

It follows on from further missed collections in Jedburgh and Kelso at the end of last week.

A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “Residents and trade waste customers are advised if we have not returned for the bins within five working days to remove their bin from the collection point.

“We are currently experiencing some disruption to our scheduled collections as a result of staff shortages and vehicle issues.

“We are working hard to maintain collections but unfortunately there may be some ongoing disruption in the coming weeks.”