A busy shopping street has been branded a mess by traders angry that all five of its litter bins have been removed.

Shopkeepers in Bond Street, North Laine, Brighton said the road was regularly covered by litter and its state had gradually declined since three of the bins were taken away before Christmas.

The problem reached a head this month when the remaining two bins were removed as the city's peak tourism period started.

Grenville Nation, owner of home furnishings shop Ananda, said: "Messy streets are bad for business, bad for health and bad for everything. It is an unbelievable mess out there."

The first three bins, including one outside Mr Nation's shop, were removed by Brighton and Hove City Council's cleaning contractors Cityclean.

When Mr Nation complained about their removal in February he was told they had been vandalised and replacements had been ordered. None arrived in the street and at the beginning of this month the remaining two bins were also removed.

Shoppers and visitors to the street have been left no option but to discard litter in the road.

Soozie Campbell, city centre manager for Brighton and Hove Business Forum, said: "I feel quite ashamed to think people are coming into the city and seeing that."

She said lots of shoppers were given flyers by leafleteers at the junction of North Street and Bond Street and had nowhere to dump them if they were unwanted. Mr Nation said the majority of people were not dropping litter but would add it to piles which developed.

He appealed to the council and Cityclean to keep its word and install new bins. He said the metal frame for the bin outside his shop had been used as a swing by children until it came loose in the ground and also had to be removed.

Mr Nation said: "It was quite dangerous the way it was."

A council spokeswoman said the old cast-iron bins had been removed because they had become rotten around the base, causing rubbish to spill when they were emptied.

She said replacement plastic bins had been ordered which had been chosen to suit the surrounding and would be easier to remove graffiti from.

The spokeswoman said it had arranged temporary bins which were due to be in place by yesterday.

The council apologised for the inconvenience caused to traders.

Friday, June 30, 2006