The big freeze, which disrupted the city over Christmas and New Year, finally ended just over a week ago but council bosses trying to clear the rubbish say a "knock-on" effect has left some areas without collections.

* Click here to watch latest YEP news and sport video reports.

Jeanette Landale, of Dawlish Mount, East End Park, finally had her
rubbish cleared on Friday after almost five weeks.

* Click here for latest YEP news and sport picture slideshows.

She contacted the council – and the YEP – several times before the bin bags disappeared.

She said: "At first I could understand it because with the bad weather and snow, none of us round here have been able to drive.

"But once the weather cleared there was no excuse. I rang the council last Tuesday and they said someone would log it and it would be sorted out within 24 hours.

"When that didn't happen I rang again and was put through to the complaints department, who said there was a procedure to follow and it might take another 14 days.

"The bins have now been emptied but I'm still angry. It's sheer incompetence on their side."

In Hunslet, Danielle Carr has waited three weeks for the bins to be emptied.

The 33-year-old civil engineer lives with her partner Martin in a block of flats in Hemingway Garth.

She said: "The block we live in is occupied mainly by elderly people and bags of rubbish are now piled up and blocking access to their properties. It's a real mess.

"Even during the binmen's strike, they managed to get private contractors in every two weeks to clear the rubbish but after the strike, the normal routine of weekly collections never returned."

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said there had been problems because of the long period of extreme bad weather and that the council was doing its best to sort the issue out.

He said: "In a few parts of the city we are working through a small backlog caused by the recent bad weather. We will empty all unemptied bins as soon as possible and urge everyone to ensure their bins are out for collection on the normal day.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused."