City binmen are celebrating the fastest post-Christmas and New Year catch-up in a decade.

Refuse collections in Brighton and Hove are already back to normal despite being hampered by snow and ice during the holiday fortnight.

In previous years it has sometimes taken three weeks for collections to return to normal.

Council leader Ken Bodfish said binmen had worked on both Saturdays during the holiday and completed a double collection last week to clear the backlog.

He said: "This is another important step forward. We are seeing real improvements in the refuse and street cleansing service and the prompt catch-up in collections after Christmas highlights the commitment of the workforce."

Refuse collection and street cleaning was brought back under council control last year amid mounting problems.

The service had been plagued by missed collections and rancorous industrial relations for more than a year and the contractor, Sita, was finally sacked after a five-day walkout by staff in the summer.

Brighton and Hove City Council has since signed a partnership agreement with unions to overcome problems with the service.

Steve White, refuse and street cleansing general manager, said: "Staff have worked extremely hard and put in extra effort to catch up with collections, resulting in an improved service for the majority of residents in Brighton and Hove."