RECYCLING crews will be working tomorrow (Saturday, July 3) to pick up missed recycling collections.

Crews will be out in the South Somerset and Wellington areaa in a bid to try and catch up on recycling collections missed on Thursday (July 1) and any missed today (July 2).

Saturday crews are also aiming to collect any garden waste missed over the course of this week as services continue to be disrupted by the nationwide driver shortage.

Residents are asked to leave their waste containers out for collection overnight, or make sure they are out by 6am tomorrow.

The Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP), which oversees the collections, has urged people to report any missed collections online at somersetwaste.gov.uk.

Saturday catch-up recycling collections will be taking place in the following South Somerset locations (as well as Wellington and Nynehead): Ashill, Barrington, Barton St David, Buckland St Mary, Chard, Combe St Nicholas, Compton Dundon, Curry Rivel, Drayton, East Lambrook, Ham, High Ham, Howley, Huish Episcopi, Hurcot, Ilminster, Isle Brewers, Keinton Mendeville, Langport, Long Sutton, Low Ham, Marsh, Oath, Sea, Shepton Beauchamp, Somerton, Stembridge, Wambrook, Whitstaunton.

Deliveries of replacement containers are also behind schedule. Anyone who has ordered new boxes, bins or bags is being urged to be patient.

SWP collections and deliveries have been seriously disrupted since the beginning of June.

It has apologised for the frustration this is causing residents and said it is working hard with its contractor SUEZ to get services back on track.

The delays are down to a national LGV driver shortage has been worsened by Covid-19 which has delayed training and testing, SWP says.

"EU drivers leaving the UK has added to the pressures, as has the driver demand created by recent reopening of non-essential retail," a spokesperson added.

"The recruitment of drivers and collection crews is especially difficult in Somerset because it is home to many distribution centres."