Council chiefs have revealed lorry drivers are being offered a wages boost in an attempt to end missed refuse collections in West Devon.

Borough councillors are trying to recruit more drivers to cope with a national shortage caused apparently by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The shortage has left some residents fuming after waste collections throughout the borough have been regularly missed in a problem which has gone on for months.

Bere Ferrers representative Cllr Peter Crozier, who praised residents for their patience, has already said it is expected the situation will continue until the New Year, when he hoped the service would improve.

But he added that some agency drivers worked for the council’s contractors for a short period – sometimes less than a week – then decided their future lay elsewhere.

Now the council’s lead member for recycling and waste, Cllr Lynn Daniel, has said wage increases had been offered to potential new recruits in an attempt to increase the number of drivers on the collection service.

She said: ’Our contractor FCC Environment is still advertising for driver vacancies and in an effort to encourage drivers to work for them, they have increased both pay and benefits for drivers.

’In addition to this recruitment effort, agency drivers and loaders that started as agency employees are being transferred across to become permanent FCC employees.

’These new employees will receive the same benefits as brand new recruits.

’We understand that any missed recycling and waste collections are frustrating for our residents and we’re sorry when they happen, but everyone involved is working very hard to provide a stable and reliable recycling and waste collection service here in West Devon.’

She asked residents to report any missed collections at www.westdevon.gov.uk/missedcollection

Latest figures show 36 collections were missed in Tavistock, Bere Ferrers and Bere Alston.

The national driver shortage, in part, was responsible for the the council binning moves to introduce three-weekly black sack refuse collections.

Following a trial which began in February in parts of Tavistock, Okehampton and Bridestowe, and which involved 1,000 residents, the council reverted to the two-week schedule in October.

They said in other areas this approach has been shown to increase recycling.

Reducing black sack waste and increasing recycling is in line with the council’s climate change aims.

The council said the findings from the trial suggested that residents themselves would not be against three-weekly black sack collections if they were to be introduced at a future date.

The decision not to proceed, had been ’largely influenced by expected changes to the National Waste Strategy.

’This is likely to affect the amount and types of waste collected from residents by Local Authorities in the future.’

It added: ’In addition, there is now a shortage of more than 100,000 lorry drivers across the UK and this is impacting collections in West Devon.

’The council recognises the potential impact of making a major service change at this time.

’We cannot ignore the impact of the Covid -19 pandemic lockdowns, as more people worked from home and the number of home deliveries increased, the quantity and types of waste being put out by residents changed significantly.’