A South Oxhey man says he is being victimised by bin men after they allegedly refused to collect waste from outside his house.

Tom Hennessy, 47, fears he has been "blacklisted" by Three Rivers District Council refuse collectors following an argument with the authority last year.

The argument escalated after Mr Hennessy, who works for Balfour Beatty, emptied the contents of hanging baskets into the bin last summer, since then he says his bin has been left full five or six times during regular collections.

Things came to a head on Tuesday of this week when Mr Hennessy says the bin was once again left because it contained a small piece of wood from a broken fence and some food waste.

Mr Hennessy said: "I have had a constant problem with dustmen picking on me.

"This has been going on since last year when I put some compost in the big brown bin for garden waste and they said it was mud so didn’t take it.

"Ever since that they keep checking in my bin even though they check no one else’s.

"I feel I am being intimidated and victimised. I think I am on a blacklist."

Mr Hennessy said he is so frustrated he is prepared to dump the contents of his bin outside the council’s offices in Rickmansworth to make his point.

He added: "It is ridiculous, something has to be done.

"It is too specific what has to go in what bin, it is not down to us.

"The whole lot should go in one bin and be taken to a central place where they have people sorting stuff, they should be able to recycle everything.

"When we first moved in three years ago I gave them all beers and chocolate at Christmas but never again, I am not giving anything."

Recycling crews recently drew praise from councillors after maintaining collection rates of between 98 and 99 per cent during heavy snow in January.

Council leader Councillor Ann Shaw said at the time: "Our staff have done the most fantastic job through ice and snow.

"Some of them must have been leaving home at about 4am to come to work."

Earlier this year the council’s environmental protection team became one of only four public sector bodies to receive an award in the Letsrecycle.com annual waste prevention scheme.

A Three Rivers District Council spokesman said the council was aware of Mr Hennessy’s complaints but said they have been dealt with.

The spokesman also said the council does not operate a black list for bin collections.