February 9, 2001 10:10: A CRISIS meeting is to take place on Monday after rubbish collection firm Onyx took almost three weeks to start clearing away filthy mess left by travellers.

Cllr John Warder, chairman of Chiltern District Council's Environmental Services Committee, will meet with Onyx bosses to discuss what he believes to be "a complete failure of management".

At a full meeting of Chiltern District Council on Tuesday, Cllr Warder announced that Onyx is to carry out a clean-up blitz of abandoned cars and rubbish this weekend.

But he added that despite mounting council pressure on Onyx to clean up its act, the company is still failing to provide a decent service in the Chiltern District.

Residents at Pednor Bottom, Chartridge, near Chesham, were furious after travellers, who had settled on land off Pednor Road, left behind unhygienic waste and rubbish including rotting food, carpet off-cuts, glass bottles, tyres and condoms.

Chiltern District Council instructed Onyx to clear the mess on January 18.

The firm finally began to tidy up the site three days ago.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It was very, very bad.

"We phoned the council to get the site cleared up but nothing was done.

"The council employs these people to clear up mess like this and collect the rubbish.

"If they don't do it it's the job of the council to make sure they do."

At Tuesday's meeting, Cllr Warder said he had received numerous complaints from the public about the service being delivered by Onyx.

A spokesman for Onyx said: "We have encountered a small number of problems due to a high rate of sickness in our workforce and vehicle breakdown.

"However, this weekend we are introducing a special service to clean up areas of the district that have fallen behind."