Dog bins are set to be removed from a village due to funding issues and not being able to find a reliable contractor, following concerns over smell.

All four bins will be scrapped in Wick St Lawrence in the coming month after its parish council decided it could no longer justify 'a large increase in costs'.

Dog bins were previously emptied by North Somerset Council for £1 per bin but in 2013 the authority gave notice to town and parish councils that service would not continue.

Parish council chairman Dave Burdge said: "We discussed various options at our last parish council meeting in September and all had the opportunity to vote on future provision of the dog bins in the parish, the result of the vote was to remove all dog bins in November.

"This decision was not taken lightly and I'm sure will not be popular with some of our residents, but due to ongoing issues with contractors, rapidly rising and unsustainable forward costs, and the fact that dog waste can be placed in domestic bins, led the council to vote for this action.

"We have a very small precept and cannot justify a large increase in costs for collection and time for future increased provision for dog waste.

"We are going to divert the funding from the dog bins to continue the green spaces works around the village, works that North Somerset will not cover, and will continue to pay for the two village orderlies."

Sharon Kilroy, of Acomite Road, which will lose its dog bin, said: "We had months of not being able to open our doors and windows in the summer due to the smell.

"The parish council has not sorted the problem simply by taking the bins away, this is a serious health and public safety issue."

Bins have been overflowing in parts of Weston this week after its contractor, Greenways Grounds Maintenance, failed to clear them.

The town council removed 12 dog bins and now has some in 43 locations, but has no plans to remove any more.

A town council spokesman said: "We apologise that some of the dog waste bins are overflowing.

"We have contacted the contractor to get this problem dealt with as soon as possible.

"Dog waste can be put into any bin, so if you can find another bin to put the waste in or at worst take it home with you we'd be grateful."