A councillor has claimed voluntary refuse collectors find their work ‘soul destroying’ due to lack of support from local authority.

Councillor Philippa Noble believes litter pickers are discouraged at the amount of litter they are witnessing.

This comes after a Ceredigion County Council officer blamed the increase in litter on a shortage of refuse collectors.

Ms Noble said: “In our community litter-pick group, some volunteers are finding it soul-destroying.

“Although they are trying to help their community it appears that the county council are not.”

Litter woes are increasing in Cardigan following complaints that bins were overflowing after the May Bank Holiday Weekend.

County councillor Elaine Evans had warned the town could be over-run with rubbish after changes to the refuse collection.

She said, “The state of the town after the Bank Holiday weekend was absolutely disgusting.”

Furthermore, Councillor Richard Davies has called for a return of wheelybins on the streets during summer and Councillor Catrin Miles said problems were getting worse because people are putting domestic waste in council bins.

Meanwhile, Paul Edwards said he was happy to meet Ms Evans for a discussion before expressing how the council only had a dozen environmental health operatives and were planning to address the shortage ‘moving forward.’

Mr Edwards said: “We always encourage the public to take their rubbish home with them when-ever possible.”