A DISABLED man has hit out at Bury Council for not helping him with his bin collections.

John Latham, aged 63, of Bankfield Close in Ainsworth, suffers from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic disease which affects the lungs and means he requires the use of an oxygen tank.

The condition, which causes progressive scarring of the lungs, made the headlines last month when it was revealed it had led to the death of Keith Chegwin.

It means that Mr Latham, who used to be a keen hiker, finds it difficult to walk even short distances, and is particularly debilitating during the winter months.

Despite requesting assisted bin collections from the council on several occasions, he estimates that it has now been six weeks since his bins were last collected, leaving a build-up of rubbish in his back garden.

He said: “It’s crazy, I’m not asking for the world, I’m asking for a bin to be moved.

“They told me the other day they would collect it, but it’s still there."

The council has said Mr Latham is on the list for assisted collections and they will be investigating the situation.

Mr Latham's bins are stored in a ginnel behind his home and putting them out would require him to push them about 25 metres so they can be accessed by the bin truck.

He said: “I can’t get them up there because it’s quite a walk. I’m going to be getting a wheelchair soon, how am I going to get up there with one?

“The other day someone else put it out for me, but the binmen didn’t collect it because someone put a McDonald’s bag in it, so I then had to drag it back by myself.

“I rang up and they promised to do it the next day, but nobody came.”

Mr Latham says he has been having problems since moving to the area in 2013, shortly after being diagnosed with his condition.

He says he believed he would be eligible for assisted collections due to his condition and the fact his wife Winnie had cancer at the time.

He said: “She’s not on disability anymore, but she’s still not able. She’s tried to take the bins up a few times but gets a lot of pain afterwards because her lymph nodes have been taken out so she gets muscle spasms and her finger tips are numb.”

Mr Latham who formerly worked as an inventory clerk, volunteers at Citizens Advice Bolton twice a week.

He has written to the council's waste management team several times, and has also written to Bury South MP Ivan Lewis, after which he was promised he would receive assistance, but the problem soon resurfaced.

He added: “It probably happened for about two collections. Nothing has really been sorted. I don’t know that they do, but they don’t seem to know what they’re doing.

“I was told the bin men have a system, but they don’t seem to use it. There must be other disabled people having this problem.I’m totally disgusted that they just take no notice of me.”

A spokesman for the council said: "We are keen to help people who have difficulty putting out their own bins by offering assisted collections.

“Mr Latham is on the list for assisted collections and should be receiving them. We will investigate the reasons why he does not appear to be getting this service and will be in touch with him to resolve the problem.”