A disabled man has called for action after bin men left him to struggle down his back lane to retrieve his wheelie bin, despite an agreement with Allerdale council that it would be returned to his gate.

Frank Walker, 89, of High Harrington, contacted Allerdale council when his limited mobility left him struggling to reach the bin.

Though his is able to lift it down the step to the lane for collection, and back up once it is empty, he walks with two sticks and found it increasingly difficult to reach the end of the lane to get it and to talk back with it.

Mr Walker said he had phoned the council five or six times in two months about the issue.

He was then visited by a street scene officer, who agreed to have the bin returned to a spot outside his home once it had been emptied.

But last week he was dismayed to find the bin was again at the end of the lane and he faced a difficult walk to reach it.

Mr Walker, who worked in the wholesale fruit and veg industry for 55 years, said: "I open my back gate and lift the bin down. I always put it in position. I asked the lady who came to get it put back there.

"I can't walk down to get it. It's become too much for me."

Mr Walker, who has lived in his house since 1960, added that he was considering contacting Workington MP Sue Hayman if the matter did not improve.

The bins are collected on the council's behalf by contractor FCC.

An Allerdale council spokesman said: "The council has been in contact with Mr Walker a number of times with regards to his bin collections.

"One of our street scene officers has recently met with him to discuss a number of different options before agreeing on a specific place outside of his home where the bin should be collected and returned.

"However, due to a change in staffing last week, the bin was not returned to the agreed location. Both FCC and the council apologise for the inconvenience caused to Mr Walker.

"We have now rectified the situation, and all crews have been instructed that they must leave the bin in the necessary place to make sure Mr Walker can easily reach it in the future."