People are angry in one area of Stockport after they were 'punished' over their bins last week.

It's been claimed refuse staff have even been threatened if they disobey the rules while parents have been forced to take nappies to the tip.

A July 2026 reminder sent to Totally Local Company, which operates Stockport's bin services, instructed staff not to collect wheelie bins where the lid is open and councillors claim they had been made to sign a document.

While this is understood to not be a new policy, the apparent increased enforcement of this rule resulted in dozens of people in Manor being left with full wheelie bins.

Pictures seen by the LDRS show lids slightly raised and in one case, the lid is flat with some plants sticking out from underneath. One councillor for the area said nearly 100 people had contacted them complaining.

Louis Doran said: "Right now I am going to the tip with these bags smelling. It's not right. They need emptying today. There's no point paying council tax if no one is emptying my bins."

He said missed bin collections were a fairly regular occurrence and around ten bins had been missed on his street which no one was happy about, telling the LDRS: "With heat, it's just going to get worse. Smells, flies, it's not good is it? It all needs doing."

One man Adam said he noticed quite a few bins had not been collected on Friday which he thought was odd at the time, adding: "I have a seven month old daughter, so this has caused a real problem.

"We get through between five and ten nappies a day, and with the bin not being emptied I've had to collect our rubbish in bin bags and take it to the tip myself over the weekend. I'll now have to keep doing that every couple of days until the next collection."

He added: "I pay my council tax, and part of that is to fund this service. Instead, I've ended up doing the job myself because my bin was refused over a lid that was barely open.

"The most frustrating part is that residents were never properly informed that even the slightest gap in a bin lid could result in it not being collected. If the council had clearly communicated this change, many people could have avoided the situation altogether."

Jon Byrne, a Labour councillor for Manor, said the situation was not normal and he had been 'inundated' with complaints, adding: "Clearly this is not [bin staff's] fault and any abuse directed at them is unacceptable, but by not communicating this to residents the council have placed them at the front line."

Labour have asked for a pause in enforcement, for bins to be collected, and for any changes to be communicated property.

Cllr Rachel Wise said: "If the rules are going to change, that needs to be done pragmatically, with a clear transition period, so residents are told before their bin is refused, not after. Nobody should be punished for a policy they were never told about."

Reform UK councillor for Manor Brian Battle said: "Collecting the bins is one of the absolutely basic roles of the council. It's what we pay for but without any warning numerous black bins went uncollected this week."

He said lids had never been an issue before and staff were able to assess for themselves whether a bin could be collected, adding: "In one swoop the 'Totally Local Company' had removed the crews ability to show discretion and apply common sense, and replaced it with a diktat telling them not to collect if the lid is not closed.

"They even had to sign and date it to confirm they'd read it. So please go gently with the crews, they now face the possibility of disciplinary action if they collect a bin that is not completely closed. This is unacceptable. Strong words need to be had."

A spokesperson for Stockport Council said: "We know residents can be disappointed and frustrated when their bin isn't emptied, especially if similar bins may have been collected in the past.

"However, our long-standing policy is that bins must be presented with the lid fully closed. This is an important health and safety measure to protect our collection crews. While there may have been occasions where overfilled bins were collected previously, the policy has not changed and crews have recently been reminded to apply it consistently.

"We appreciate that this may cause inconvenience for some households, but applying the policy consistently helps us provide a safe, fair and reliable service for everyone. Residents who need additional support or advice about managing excess waste can find information on our website."

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