A DISABLED pensioner is annoyed after the council mistakenly told him he was no longer able to have his garden waste collected.

Harvey Edwards, 84, was told earlier this week that he was not eligible for green waste collection, despite the majority of his garden waste coming from trees overhanging his property that belong to a neighbouring school.

He contacted Durham County Council (DCC) on Monday to pay £20 to have his brown bin emptied for one year, only to be told that he wasn’t able to have the service, without reason.

Mr Edwards, of Willington, said: “I’m annoyed at the way things have gone, if I didn’t complain then they would have took the service away from me and I would have been left to clean up after the school’s trees."

Oliver Sherratt, head of direct services, Durham County Council, said: “We are delighted that we have quickly reviewed the situation for Mr Edwards and have told him he will be eligible to join our garden waste scheme.

“He joins thousands of others who are eligible for the new paid scheme and have already signed-up.”

For more information visit durham.gov.uk/gardenwaste