Angry householders staged a residents' revolt after their rubbish went uncollected for THREE weeks.

They piled dozens of black bin bags across the street, forming a 5ft-high barricade which stopped traffic.

Their direct action worked - within 30 minutes a team of binmen turned up and cleared away the mess.

Now residents are demanding to know why the mountain of refuse was not collected in the first place.

Police were called at 9pm on Friday after motorists reported the wall of sacks blocking their way.

There was no sign of the culprits but it is believed a group of men started collecting the bags from outside homes in Toronto Terrace, Brighton, and piled them in nearby Southover Street.

As word got round, more people joined in and the heap grew bigger, towering over parked cars.

The end result delighted people living in Toronto Terrace.

Amanda Brace, 39, chairwoman of Hanover Community Association, who has lived in Toronto Terrace for 15 years, believed direct action was necessary because nothing else was working.

She said: "None of us has room for the rubbish so it all just piled up outside. Before the bins were cleared the street was disgusting and the whole place smelled.

"Most of us have given up phoning the council because it just keeps saying it will show up tomorrow but never does. I'm really pleased the rubbish has gone but it will be the same next week I'm sure."

Chris Tuft, 42, of Toronto Terrace, who works for Virgin Records, said: "I think it's good someone decided to do something at last. The street was getting really dirty and unpleasant.

"I was thinking of hiring a lorry myself and gathering all the bags and taking them down to the council offices and dumping them outside.

"We all pay our council tax and expect our rubbish to be collected. They can't just leave it on the street for weeks on end."

Radiographer Lesley Williams, 38, who has lived in Toronto Terrace for four years, said: "At first I thought it was the council finally getting its act together when I saw the pile of bags.

"There are a lot of mothers round here and the situation was so bad they found it very difficult to push their buggies down the street."

"One of my neighbours tried to ring the council every day last week and never got any answers.

"I don't think it should have had to come to this but I'm very glad it worked."

Not everyone was pleased. Liam Rielly, 25, manager of the Pub With No Name in Southover Street, was horrified at the barricade of bags outside.

He said the huge pile of refuse put customers off.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the city's environment committee, apologised to people living in Toronto Terrace and promised to investigate.