East Hampshire District Council is “desperately trying” to help Norse South East recruit dustcart drivers and bin loaders to revive its ailing rubbish collection service.

Glass is the headline problem in Whitehill & Bordon, with a mass of empty bottles appearing outside the bottle bank at Tesco on August 19 highlighting the issue of kerbside glass collection being suspended.

On the same day, the council issued a kerbside glass collection update – four days after council leader Cllr Richard Millard and chief executive Gill Kneller pledged to return the rubbish collection service “to the standard we expect”.

The update said: “We’re doing everything we can to make things better but in the meantime please don’t put your glass out for collection.

“As you’re probably aware there are national driver shortages and we are also suffering because of this. Our contractor Norse South East doesn’t have enough crew to collect waste, recycling, garden waste and kerbside glass.

“We are therefore prioritising waste, recycling and garden waste, which means that kerbside glass collection won’t happen for at least a month. In the meantime we are desperately trying to help Norse South East recruit drivers and crew.”

In its efforts to recruit more bin staff, the council’s glass update included links to the Petersfield-based jobs on the Norse South East website.

The bin loader positions are being offered at £23,151 per year and the HGV driver jobs at £28,157 per year. Both figures are lower than what was suggested last week, when 11 and 22 per cent pay rises were meant to take loaders’ wages to £25,500 per year and drivers’ salaries to £31,110 per year.

Headley resident Neville Merritt appealed to people to listen to the council and help it solve the glass crisis. He said: “People not heeding the request not to leave bottles at a full bank – creating more work for the contractors emptying the bank – are causing delay, and that means fewer banks emptied. It isn’t helping.”

Gregor Findlay, from Lindford, believed the loss of foreign staff following Brexit and the low wages being offered meant Norse South East could not compete for a dwindling number of HGV drivers.

He said: “They can earn over £40,000 delivering food working for one of the big retailers.

“It’s simple supply and demand, I’m afraid.”