There has been a barrage of complaints about the service operated by Sita in Brighton and Hove since its birth.

Most of the moans have centred on piles of stinking rubbish that have been left to pile up on the city's streets.

There have also been separate disputes between the company and its staff about pay and conditions in the past.

Union leaders say new street cleaning schedules, which are being introduced on Monday, are unrealistic and will be ignored by staff.

Street cleaners complain Sita is expecting them to cover too much distance every day without taking the nature of the road into account.

The GMB union says different roads need to be cleaned in different ways, including brushes or mechanical sweepers.

Invariably, there are problems with collecting rubbish on differing routes, which vary in width, size and length. But the dispute will be of little, or no comfort, to the thousands of residents who are already angry about the standard of service they have received.

The staff do appear to have legitimate concerns that need to be taken into account by their employers. Otherwise, it will be the public who suffers once more because of a breakdown in communications.