A PAIR of socks in a resident’s bin is not the reason the bin wasn’t emptied - the council has reiterated.

Nigel Lawrence, of Stanley Road, Barrow, complained that waste collectors refused to empty his red wheelie bin last week because someone had thrown a pair of socks into the bin.

Barrow Borough Council has reiterated that the reason the bin wasn’t emptied was because it was ‘heavily contaminated’ - and it had nothing to do with a pair of socks.

The council has photographic evidence of what was contained in the bin, that meant it wasn’t emptied on last week’s waste collection.

Contents of the bin, along with the socks, included used tissues, food waste, used tea bags, polythene bags and paper bags containing food remnants.

A spokesperson for Barrow Borough Council said: "The council organises bin collections for 33,500 households.

"Having declared a climate emergency, Barrow Borough Council is fully committed to ensuring recycling is central to the way waste is collected.

"We need the public's help to achieve this and to ensure that the correct contents are placed in the correct bins. By working together we can all achieve the maximum level of recycling."

The issue has prompted the council to again remind residents about what items should - and shouldn’t - be put in their red wheeled bins for recycling.

Items that can be recycled in the red wheeled bins are:

Paper - envelopes, junk mail, leaflets, magazines, newspapers, shredded paper, telephone directories, yellow pages. (not tissue paper)

Household Plastic - Food pots and tubs, margarine tubs, plastic trays (not black), yoghurt pots, milk bottles, drinks bottles, cleaner and detergent bottles, toiletries and shampoo bottles.

Cardboard - egg boxes, fruit & veg punnets, cardboard sleeves, cereal boxes, corrugated cardboard, toilet roll tubes, tissue boxes, pizza boxes (not containing pizza)

Tetrapak Type Packaging - milk cartons, fruit cartons.

Metal Packaging - kitchen foil (not crisp packets), drink cans, food tins, aerosols, aluminium cans

Items that CAN NOT be recycled in the red wheeled bins are:

Black food trays; plastic carrier bags; polystyrene; polythene; food organic waste; Pringle boxes; crisp packets; tissue paper; Pyrex, drinking glasses and broken glass; padded envelopes.