Crews in Breckland are working hard to catch up on bin collection rounds caused by driver shortages.

Thousands of green bins in parts of the district - including in Thetford, Watton, Attleborough and the Dereham area - have not been collected on time this week.

Breckland Council said the issue was down to "local and national driver shortages".

And Sarah Suggitt, the council's cabinet member for contracts, explained on Friday that the issue had been compounded by "summer holidays and non-Covid sickness".

But Terry Jermy, district councillor for the Thetford Burrell ward, claimed deep-rooted problems had existed since a new £230m deal with Serco began earlier this year.

Serco has insisted that work is being done to fill its job vacancies.

Meanwhile, residents still waiting for collection have been instructed to leave their wheelie bins out and wait for refuse crews to return.

It is anticipated that all of them will have been collected by the end of Saturday (August 14).

Dereham Times: Representatives from Breckland, North Norfolk and West Norfolk councils after a joint contract with Serco was agreedRepresentatives from Breckland, North Norfolk and West Norfolk councils after a joint contract with Serco was agreed (Image: copyright keith mindham photography)

As of Saturday morning, the affected towns and villages were as follows:

Holme Hale

Bradenham Road
Browns Lane
Church Lane
Church Road
Cliffords Yard
Cook Road
Farm View
Lower Road
Necton Road
Red Lion Close
School Road
St Andrews Close
Station Road
Swaffham Road
Wood Lane
Yaxley Meadow

North Pickenham and South Pickenham


Brecklands Green
Church Lane
Browns Lane
South Pickenham Road
Swaffham Road
The Grange
The Street
The Terrace
Green View
Hilborough Road
Hillside
Hillview
Houghton Lane
Latimer Way
Liberator View
Meadow Lane

Watton

Adcock Road
Badger Drive
Blenheim Way
Bloodhound Road
Bramble Way
Burr Close
Burrow Drive
Crabtree Close
Dale Close
Dye Road
Eastern Road
Field Maple Road
Finch Drive
Forman Close
Garden Close
Goat Willow Close
Griston Road
Harvest Road
Hunters Oak
Landing Light Way
Maize Court
Merchants Court
Norwich Road
Novak Drive
Regal Court
Station Way
Wheatcroft Drive
Whitebeam Crescent
Wild Cherry Close
High Street
Jessup Road
Norwich Road
Redhill Park
Thetford Road
Dereham Road
Ella Rose Court
Manor Park
Harvey Street
Church Road
Glebe Road
Railway Mews
Nelson Court
Frost Close
Sharman Avenue
Watton Green
Stevens Close
St Marys Close
Abbey Road
Goffe Close
Hamilton Close
Vicarage Walk
Victoria Court
Town Green Road
Watton Green
Redhill Lane
Charles Avenue
Monkhams Drive
Roman Drive
Ashtree Road
Priory Road
Canon Close
Chestnut Road
Dudley Close
Byfords Way
Muston Walk
Bowes Close
Donald Moore Gardens

Carbrooke

Access From Shipdham Road To Brakehill Lodge Farm
Bader Close
Biggin Hill Way
Boscombe Road
Bridge Street
Broadmoor Road
Cardington Road
Caudle Springs
Church Street
Cochrane Close
Cranwell Road
Drury Lane
Farnborough Road
Halton Road
Hendon Avenue
Meadow Lane
Mill Lane
Muriel Way
Northolt Road
Norwich Road
Shipdham Road
Summer Lane
Willow Corner

Great Ellingham

Bow Street
Broadacre Drive
Greenfield Drive
Honeybee Close
Long Street
Melton Meadow
Stalland Common
Wright Close
Hingham Road
Attleborough Road
Home Close
Rectory Lane
Mill Lane
Chequers Green
Church Street
Chequers Lane
Town Green
Glebe Meadow
Watton Road
Nelsons Loke
The Paddock
The Woodcutters

Little Ellingham

Hingham Road
Anchor Corner
Wood Lane
Attleborough Road
Church Avenue
Church Road
Rockland Lane
Goose Common
Barrack Row
Crown Lane
Poplar Lane
Scoulton Road
The Green

Attleborough and Rocklands All Saints

Anchor Corner
Fen Street
Lancaster Road
Spitfire Close
Waller Drive
Wellington Road
West Carr Road
Long Street
Wroo Road
Blenheim Drive

New Buckenham

Booseys Walk
Castle Hill Road
Chapel Hill
Cuffer Lane
Grange Road
King Street
Market Place
Moat Lane
Norwich Road
Queen Street
Rosemary Lane
St Martins Gardens
St Marys Close
Tanning Lane
Wymondham Road

Old Buckenham

Abbey Road
Alms Houses
Attleborough Road
Barbers Yard
Bunns Bank
Cake Street
Castle Hill Road
Crown Road
Doe Lane
Fen Road
Fen Street
Forge Close
Hargham Close
Hargham Road
Harlingwood Lane
Leys Lane
March Field Way
Mill Road
New Buckenham Road
Oaklands
Old Post Office Terrace
Ragmere Road
St Andrews Close
Stacksford
The Green
The Old Yard