A MARCH woman says Fenland should return to a weekly green bin collection after finding maggots scattered along the footpath around her home. I was up until after midnight on Monday sweeping up maggots, said Debbie Archer. I used five litres of bleach

A MARCH woman says Fenland should return to a weekly green bin collection after finding maggots scattered along the footpath around her home.

"I was up until after midnight on Monday sweeping up maggots," said Debbie Archer. "I used five litres of bleach, two litres of disinfectant and hot water - and they were still alive."

Mrs Archer and her husband, Peter, spent two hours on Monday and a further two hours the next morning, clearing the maggots.

The maggots were first spotted by their 19-year-old daughter Amy, who found them crawling around the front door and in the porch of their Robingoodfellows Lane home.

Mrs Archer called the council's emergency helpline but was told it would cost £120 to get someone out to deal with the problem.

When the maggots returned overnight, Mrs Archer went to the council offices shortly after 8am and says she was assured her bins would be emptied that morning.

Despite two further visits, she says the bin was not collected until Wednesday morning, the normal day for refuse collections in the town.

Mrs Archer said: "I can't leave my rubbish out like this, it is ridiculous. We are trying to keep the environment clean but how can we if we cannot get the bins collected? It needs to be emptied each week or I need a second bin."

A spokesman for Fenland District Council said: "The waste from brown and green bins is collected on alternate weeks so residents are urged to plan which bin to put their waste in.

"However, residents who wish to dispose of their food waste in a brown bin are urged to wrap their food waste in old newspaper to discourage maggots. Dispose of food waste in whichever bin is due for collection next. This will reduce the opportunity for flies to lay eggs and for maggots to hatch in bins.