A council has enraged residents by failing to collect their rubbish - after it gave them a legal warning for putting bin bags out early.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been accused of double standards for blaming residents for the pile of waste in their street when refuse staff regularly leave rubbish bags sitting there for days after the correct collection day.

The council's highways and cleansing officer Keith Gloster sent what residents described as a "threatening" letter to residents in Sussex Square, Brighton.

The letter said: "It has been brought to my attention that some residents are putting their refuse out on the pavement the evening before a collection day is due. This is leading to an accumulation of refuse in the street."

Mr Gloster went on to warn them they were breaking several laws and bylaws.

Resident Tony Kynaston said he and his neighbours were furious about the letter.

He said: "There is a festering pile of rubbish outside my flat and it is growing day by day. Residents have been up in arms about this letter.

"How dare the council send a threatening letter to us saying we are committing an offence when it will not collect the rubbish anyway?

"Where are the laws to say it cannot leave rotting rubbish outside people's houses?"

One of Mr Kynaston's neighbours, who did not wish to be named, threatened to take all the rubbish bags and dump them on the steps of the council's offices while another said he wanted to set fire to the filthy pile of waste to make a point.

A council spokesman said: "There are a few people in wholly-owned houses in Sussex Square who have been complaining about flats putting their rubbish out on Sunday night ready for collection on Monday.

"So, doing our duty by these residents, we wrote a very polite letter to 20 properties reminding them what the rules were and quoting the legislation from which the rules come. These were not enforcement letters or threats of any kind.

"Then the bank holiday occurs when there are no collections. In trying to catch up on Tuesday, bin crews were denied access to the north part of the Square by cars parked on a corner.

"On Wednesday they were delayed by bin wagon breakdowns and ran out of time, bearing in mind they had their other Wednesday rounds too."