A COMMUNITY in east Folkestone celebrated last week as they were told they would finally be given new litter bins, five months after first asking Shepway District Council for help.

Residents in Bradstone Avenue contacted the authority in September 2011 as they were fed up with members of the public dropping rubbish in the street.

To battle the problem they asked for four bins to go on the corners of Bradstone Road and Avenue, as well as Sussex and Devon Road, and their request was granted.

After waiting months for them to arrive they again contacted the council for an update, but their numerous e-mails and phone calls went unanswered.

Residents asked councillors for help and even threatened to start a petition, until last week when they were told their bins were finally on their way.

David Taylor said: "We're delighted, although it's a shame it has been such a long wait and it got as nasty as it did.

"We get a lot of people who use the road on their way to and from town, and that's where the rubbish was coming from. We like looking after our own in this community and try to implement David Cameron's Big Society, so we contacted the council for help.

"When we didn't hear anything we tried calling and e-mailing but got no answers. We even offered to empty the things ourselves.

"Eventually we had enough and asked members of the council, such as Brian Copping, for assistance and only then did we finally get our bins."

The bins are due to be rolled out in the next couple of weeks.

A spokesman for Shepway District Council said: "Whilst we recognise it's a great initiative and fully support them in looking after their own area, their request for bins went into a collective request for the whole district.

"We've now moved forward towards a successful outcome."