RUBBISH has been piling up across Hambleton after new legislation forced a change in council policy.

The legislation bans the disposal of animal by-products, including raw meat, fish and bone, on landfill sites.

Hambleton District Council wrote to commercial premises at the end of September, telling them that, if they did not reply, their collections would be cancelled from November 3.

Many people forgot to respond and have seen their rubbish stack up over the past few days.

Mike Fox, landlord of The Buck, in Thornton Watlass, near Bedale, said more than 200 properties had not had collections.

He said: "They have not collected my rubbish and there is piles of it everywhere. They have tried to address one environmental problem and all they have done is create another one. The whole area is stinking with rubbish left out in the open and you start to worry about rats being encouraged."

Eric Kendal, council head of environmental health and housing, said the problem was not widespread.

"He said: We have a number of people who have not returned the letters, but the majority have.

"It is just one of those unfortunate things but these regulations have come in and, if we take any contaminated waste to the tip, the whole load will have to be incinerated, which is expensive for the authority."