A WESTON couple is asking for a council tax refund because refuse collectors are failing to take away their garden waste - claiming they live on an industrial estate. Pensioners Gawen and Suzette Thomas, who live in Winterstoke Road on the Oldmixon estate

A WESTON couple is asking for a council tax refund because refuse collectors are failing to take away their garden waste - claiming they live on an industrial estate.Pensioners Gawen and Suzette Thomas, who live in Winterstoke Road on the Oldmixon estate, have not had their green bags collected by North Somerset Council's contractors since the scheme started in February.Mrs Thomas says she was told by a refuse collector that her green garden waste was not being picked up because she lived on an industrial rather than residential estate.The couple have lived on Winterstoke Road for five years and have never had a problem with waste collection before.Mrs Thomas said she has to phone the council every fortnight to get her green bags picked up and she wants a refund for the calls from her council tax.She said: "Unless you ring up the council and ask them to come out and collect the bags they just don't bother."I wasn't given any free green bags because of where I live and had to go out and buy my own."I have a small lawn at the front and back of my house and, after pruning, the garden waste all adds up."I'm fed up of having to ring the council during the day, when it's expensive, to get someone to collect my rubbish and I want a refund."North Somerset councillor Ian Parker said: "I have notified the executive member who is responsible for waste twice and she said she was going to get it sorted the next day."If the council deems the Thomas' are living on an industrial estate then I will help them take up the cause to get a refund from their council tax."Last week, the Weston & Somerset Mercury revealed a total of 607 people complained that bin men had forgotten to take their waste from July 3-21.Deborah Yamanaka, North Somerset Council's executive member for the environment, said: "It should not have happened and I hope it does not happen again. I have contacted a council officer who in turn has contacted the contractor to ensure the couple's green waste is collected.