INCONTINENCE pad users in Welwyn Hatfield are being unfairly hit by the new recycling regime, according to a disability campaigner.

Brian Wilson, of the Welwyn Hatfield Access Group, said: “A large number of people are wearing incontinence pads.

“And when you have to change them three or four times a day, after two weeks your bin is not capable of holding the pads.”

He said elderly people and others who suffer from incontinence were “facing an increasing problem”, and berated the council for not addressing their “special need”.

He also said he believed in the new regime roll-out, the council had not considered them under the compulsory Equalities Impact Assessment.

Problems with bin rounds have continued after failed collections were originally blamed on “teething problems”.

And Mr Wilson said the problem for pad-users would only be exacerbated if their bins were snubbed.

“If they [the council] can’t take them away where do you put the next two week’s pads?” he told the WHT.

A spokeswoman for Welwyn Hatfield Council said: “The type of healthcare waste will affect how it is collected.

“Clinical waste which poses a risk to infection will continue to receive a weekly collection funded by the primary care trust.

“Non-infectious healthcare waste such as sanitary products, nappies and incontinence pads can be placed in the black dustbin and collected on a fortnightly basis.

“We recommend this is bagged.”

She added: “If the quantity of healthcare waste is such that a larger bin is required, genuine cases will be considered.”