Plastic bags full of rubbish will continue to blight the streets of Brighton and Hove for the foreseeable future.

The city's rubbish collection service is in disarray after last month's wildcat strike by binmen.

The dispute meant black refuse sacks were not removed and now the 300-strong workforce is refusing to catch up.

It means many streets have had no collection for more than two weeks.

Union leaders warned yesterday the crisis would deepen before householders saw any signs of improvement.

Brighton and Hove City Council has told employees they will not be paid extra to catch up on missed collections. Meanwhile, workers have vowed to work to rule - sparking fears the mounting rubbish would begin to spread disease.

Linda Gholami, 63, of St Aubyn's, Hove, said: "I'm worried that we could get rats before long. It's just so dirty."

The two-day unofficial strike in February was the result of a bust-up at the refuse service depot in Hollingdean.

Shop steward Richard Warren was marched out of work when a serious allegation was made against him and about 300 workers downed tools in sympathy.

The council, which oversees the Cityclean refuse service, was yesterday considering the results of a preliminary inquiry into Mr Warren's suspension.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner confirmed his members were continuing to work to rule but said there had been no further strikes.

He added: "What the workforce isn't picking up is the work they haven't been paid for.

"Management or the council have put to the general public that they were given assurances the workforce would collect the backlog last Tuesday or Wednesday but that was physically impossible and they haven't done that.

"The average crew is between two and two-and-a-half days behind now because the work is building up.

"Our members are not prepared to do seven days work in five days and this is what the council expects them to do in order to catch up."

Mr Turner said he had been promised a decision on whether to continue Mr Warren's suspension would be made by the end of yesterday.

He said: "Evidence has been placed in front of management to counter the allegations have been made but so far the situation hasn't been resolved."

A spokesman for the council said: "The workforce is not on strike but unofficial industrial action is affecting the rounds.

"This has resulted in delays to refuse and recycling rounds, meaning collections will be later than normal.

"Delays are different in different areas of the city, so our advice is to put your refuse out on the normal collection day.

"We are talking to the workforce about resolving the situation."

Gill Mitchell, the council's spokeswoman for the environment, said: "The managers are currently talking with the workforce about the issue. It is obviously a deeply regrettable situation."

Asked whether Cityclean would reconsider paying for the missed rounds to be collected to end the deadlock, Coun Mitchell said: "I can't comment on that."