Dustmen blamed for triggering a bin bag protest are believed to have been suspended.

Up to five members of one crew were told to leave their depot hours after The Argus reported how residents blocked Southover Street in Brighton in protest over non-collection.

Neighbours said their rubbish went uncollected for three weeks. and they were forced to build a 5ft high barricade to get action.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "The council is experiencing problems with the refuse service in some areas, as indicated in The Argus' front-page story yesterday.

"The residents do not deserve this kind of service and we are taking the issue very seriously.

"We are taking appropriate action to ensure Brighton and Hove residents can be assured of timely and regular collections. The council is confident the rounds will settle down over the next week."

Workers at the depot in Hollingdean were given a dressing-down.

One refuse worker, who did not want to be named, said it was thought four or five men had been suspended.

He said: "Things have been bad here lately but yesterday it got a lot worse.

"The atmosphere at the yard between the management and the staff is extremely difficult."

The city council, which runs the in-house refuse service Cityclean, has refused to confirm the suspensions as has the GMB union, which represents the workers.

Mark Turner, of the GMB, said the union wanted to meet managers to discuss the workload on some new rounds.

The round patterns had been altered and some were impossible to clear in the time given.

He said: "There is a problem with rounds and the management is refusing to meet our request on those which are causing problems."

He said GMB members would meet at the depot later this week to discuss a number of issues, including changes to the refuse service.