RESIDENTS in Oxford have been surprised that their brown garden waste bins were not collected this week.

Hazel Dawe of Lye Valley said she put out her bins expecting them to be picked up as normal because she had not been told anything to the contrary.

Ms Dawe, a member of Oxfordshire Green Party, said: "Walking to my local supermarket I saw lots of brown bins put out for collection.

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"This is not surprising as the council did not inform those of us who pay for this collection that it was being suspended.

"They have a database of those of us who pay for this collection so why didn't they email and text us to let us know?

"I only found out because I reported that my bin had not been collected."

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Oxford City Council announced on its website and in a notice to press on March 24 that it was suspending brown bin collections until further notice, in order to redeploy staff to essential services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The news was reported in the Oxford Mail but we are happy to remind our readers.