Residents who waited six weeks for their rubbish to be collected have been told they can have finally have black bins – but only if they cough up £25 each.

For years those living in Fairview Cottages – a row of five homes in Loose, in Maidstone – were instructed to leave their waste outside in plastic sacks due to the difficulty of taking a wheelie bin along the steep access path.

But over the festive period, rubbish wasn't collected for six weeks, amounting to around 50 bags left outside.

Householder Hannah Pearce said the reasoning behind the lack of black bins was "a nonsense".

She said: "When the dustmen did come they would drag an empty neighbour's bin up the hill from High Banks to fill with our bags before taking it down again."

The trouble was that any rubbish that wouldn't fit in the one bin was left.

And in addition foxes took great delight in tearing open the bags and strewing the rubbish everywhere.

After many complaints, MBC arranged a special collection of the sacks last Thursday - with one female resident helping to carry them down the path.

Mother-of-one Eleanor Murton said: "They kept saying our steps were unsafe. They are ragstone steps - we live in a conservation area and they can't be changed.

"It feels that the council just keeps making excuses for a problem that has been going on for years."

Now the residents have been visited by a council officer and representative of the waste contractor, Biffa, who have now decided the cottages can have black bins - although one resident was inadvertently charged £25 for her bin. It should have been free.

She said: "We'll just have to wait and see if this works when they are supposed to collect again on Tuesday."

Maidstone council said: "Fairview Cottages had previously been served by a sack collection as the steps used to access the properties posed potential health and safety risks to the waste collection crew.

"Following requests for review from the residents, MBC and the waste contractor, Biffa, visited the properties and decided that the crew members would have sufficient visibility of their footing while collecting wheeled bins.

"The decision has now been made to change the service to wheeled bins and MBC is in the process of delivering the new bins to the residents of Fairview Cottages free of charge.

"One resident has been inadvertently charged for the bins and we have already been in contact with her to arrange a refund.

"All five cottages will then be on the standard alternate weekly system of waste collection with the wheeled bins providing secure containment for waste and dry mixed recycling, and a 23-litre caddy for food waste."