MUM Sue Jackson was stunned when binmen refused to empty a wheelie bin put out by her 10-year-old daughter - because it was too heavy for their lorry.

The refuse collectors told Sue, 29, that their truck's hydraulic equipment couldn't lift it.

But Sue says her daughter Lauren had easily wheeled the bin outside her Rochdale house.

She said: "I just couldn't believe it when the bin men said it was too heavy for the refuse lorry to empty.

"They told me that to my face and when I said we don't get told of any weight limit they just walked off.

"I can't understand how a lorry with a hydraulic arm, which should be made to lift heavy weights, could not lift a bin which my 10-year-old daughter had put out that morning.

Ridiculous

"I thought it was ridiculous. When I rang the council, the woman who I spoke to started laughing as well and said she'd never heard anything like it. It's not even as if my daughter is really strong. She's just an average sized 10-year-old."

The mother-of-three, of Daniel Fold, Brotherod, was forced to leave five bin bags outside her house until the bin men returned to empty the bin on Thursday.

She added: "It was a disgrace and unhygienic because I have two babies under the age of two and a lot of nappies every day. When they came this week they emptied the bin no problem, so I don't know what happened the first time. I was really annoyed and disappointed."

But Rochdale council says that the rules are there to prevent damage to bins.

A spokesman said: "If a bin is too heavy, the crew may be unable to empty it because the lip of the bin could break while being lifted on the lorry's lifting mechanism. This could cause a health and safety issue and damage the bin. It would have to have some of its contents removed before it could be emptied on the next collection."
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