WASTE trials in the Chilterns are causing a stink among residents who say they are suffering from ant infestations, eyesores and unpleasant smells caused by decomposing rubbish and uncollected rubbish bags.

Chiltern District Council heard last Wednesday that residents involved in the kitchen waste trials in Seer Green, Jordans, Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter were experiencing a "Winter of Discontent".

Now, halfway through the six month, trial councillors said the scheme is not working and have called for it to be halted.

Cllr Jane Bramwell (Lib Dem, St Mary's and Waterside) said: "There's parts of the green belt, where people are living in big houses and rubbish is piling up in their gardens because people are so confused about when they are supposed to take their rubbish out.

"It's like the Winter of Discontent."

Everyone involved in trials was given an indoor kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor bucket with bio-degradable liners for compostable kitchen waste and food scraps, which are collected every fortnight.

Seer Green resident, Cllr Paul Meakin (Lib Dem) said: "This is the first time in 20 years that we have had ants in our house. Residents are complaining about the infestations and saying we can now smell Chiltern District Council."

Cllr Bramwell said: "The bio-degradable liners are still decomposing a bit too fast and people are telling me that the number of complaints made about the trials are so high that officers are unable to respond by letter to everyone individually. 'What we should be doing is bringing a halt to these trials."

Cllr John Warder, executive member for environmental management, countered that the 800 initial complaints per week had tailed off to around 60 per week in recent weeks. He explained that the council was under increasing Government pressure to increase recycling and reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill to avoid hefty financial penalties which would otherwise be passed on to residents through higher council taxes.

Cllr Warder added that since the beginning of the trials in March paper recycling had increased by 35 per cent and glass recycling by ten per cent. He also denied problems with rubbish piling up in peoples' gardens, with an exception in certain roads off Narcot Lane, Chalfont St Peter. Cllr Warder confirmed that the waste trials would run until September.