A rise in home working during the coronavirus crisis could lead to more missed bin collections over the Christmas period, waste bosses have warned.

The Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) has said a rise in home working as a result of the pandemic has made it harder for waste vehicles to access residential streets, especially those where on-street parking is the norm.

There have been more than 400 incidents during the last four-week lockdown where collections were missed or delayed due to inconsiderate parking.

To combat this, the SWP has joined forces with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service for a new campaign, encouraging people to park more considerately to ensure waste vehicles and fire engines have safe access.

A report on missed bin collections was published ahead of a Somerset Waste Board virtual meeting held on Friday (December 4).

John Helps, the SWP's performance and insight officer, said there had been a "significant decrease" in the number of missed collections between July and September 2020 compared to the previous three months.

However, in October there were 269 reported incidents where a collection was delayed or missed due to the waste lorry being obstructed by bad parking.

During the four-week national lockdown in November and early-December, this rose to more than 400 such incidents.

Mr Helps said in his written report: "Missed collections remain the cause of the majority of customer contacts to the SWP, and remains an area of concern while we are in the process of moving from our incumbent collection contractor to the new Recycle More contractor.

"Covid-19 continues to impact and fluctuations are still happening on occasions, but overall the performance is an improving one."

The parking incidents were recorded across the county, with some occurring in small villages with narrow streets and others on newer housing estates.

An SWP spokesman said: "The covid-driven rise in home working has meant more access issues for collection trucks and fire engines, as space on residential streets is at a premium.

"With the usual seasonal parking pressures on the way, it is feared that a

difficult situation could get even worse.

"The cars are often legally parked, but in a way that makes it difficult for recycling and rubbish collections trucks to negotiate narrower streets."

Residents who park inconsiderately could find their front windscreens festooned with 'please park carefully' flyers which will be left by waste crews.

Managing director Mickey Green said: "We know parking can be difficult when so many more people are at home, as they are over Christmas and New Year, but please think about how and where you park.

"A missed or delayed collection is a frustration, but a delayed fire engine is much more serious."

Residents are advised to park as close to the kerb as possible, leaving extra room on tight corners and folding in their wing mirrors to ensure bin lorries, fire engines and other similar vehicles can pass unimpeded.

Fire service area manager Gerald Taylor added: "Fires don't wait for anything or anyone.

"If our fire engines are held up by badly parked cars, it will mean the incident has progressed further, increasing the risk of serious injury as well as more

damage to property."

For more information on the campaign, along with revised collection dates over Christmas and new year, visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk.