MORE than 30 bags of waste were left to pile up on a Clevedon pavement despite numerous complaints made by a nearby business owner.

The owner of Aspirations Hair and Beauty in Old Church Road, Heather Thomas, said she was forced to keep the doors of her salon closed due to the stench being created by the bags which were left outside her business by residents but not collected.

She said she made numerous telephone calls to North Somerset Council over a three week period but no action was taken.

Heather said: “It smells obnoxious so we have had to keep the doors closed.

“Three weeks ago I telephoned the council because the bags had split. I had to put the broken ones into new black bags myself.

“They said they would collect them the next week but I am still waiting. It is a public hazard.

“I know the council’s telephone number off by heart and it is now on my speed dial as I have been ringing it about rubbish problems since January.”

After the Times contacted North Somerset Council, the bags were collected on Thursday.

A council spokesman said: “There is an ongoing problem with people putting rubbish out on the wrong week and also in the wrong bags.

“It is possible that as soon as we collect some rubbish they start putting more out.”