During my travels throughout the Neath area I couldn't help but notice this doggie bin a few weeks back. It was full and a bag or two of you know what had been placed on top, obviously in the expectation the bin was due for an empty.

But no. Time passed, the bags of dog crap grew in number, and while other similar bins in the area were emptied, for some reason this was ignored, eventually leading to the disgusting mess you see today, 3 February as I write.
    
First of all I blame the dog owners. If the doggie bin is obviously full, don't rely on the Council meeting its obligations to regularly empty it. You may end up in the situation like this one. Take your bag home or deposit it in the next empty bin.

Secondly, what are all of us doing? Don't we all (me included) have a duty to follow up on something obviously awry here and get in touch with the Council or a Councillor to get it sorted? (Maybe someone has, I've no idea, and this is the problem - it's too easy to assume someone else is onto the problem).

Thirdly, don't be fooled because you see no houses that this bin is in some rural idyll. It's actually on a well used public road and Council employees are regularly up and down it for one reason or another. Where is their pride in their organisation? This sort of failure tends to undermine the whole of the Council's reputation for providing good public services. Couldn't any of them have gone in to work, contacted the necessary department by phone and said, hey, something's wrong here?

Finally, what about Councillors themselves? Look, we all know not one of them would have a sh*t bin placed opposite their own house. But there's a nice young couple with kids live right opposite this. It's an eyesore, it stinks and it's a public health hazard. So, Local Member(s)? Do you go around with your eyes shut?

If Councils are going to fine dog owners, quite rightly, for their mutts fouling the highway, and provide bins to get them to pick up after them, then the least houseowners who live near the bins can expect is the Council meet its part of the bargain - AND EMPTY THE THINGS REGULARLY!!