Disposable nappies, soiled cat litter, rotting food waste and dog poo are being spread around a town street.

For years, residents in Lower Boxley Road, Maidstone, have been asked to put out their rubbish in black plastic sacks rather than use a wheelie bin.

The reason given was that with many homes in multiple occupation and many having basement properties, there was not room for householders of the Victorian homes to store the standard wheelie bin.

But increasingly the sacks have been attacked by foxes or cats, with the result that their contents are often sprawled across the pavement.

“It’s an unsanitary mess,“ said Cllr Tony Harwood (Lib Dem). “Especially as we approach the summer.

“The borough has recently switched its waste contractor. Perhaps now is the time for a review of the collection method in this street?

“Just because there are a few flats, I do not believe this should be a barrier to a bin-based solution.”

Cllr Harwood, Maidstone borough councillor for North Ward, which includes Lower Boxley Road, added: “If not wheelie bins, perhaps a communal paladin-style bin could be used.

“There are a couple of unused areas where paladin bins could be sited.

“Lower Boxley Road is a key route around the town centre and the constant mess creates a very bad impression of the County Town.”

A Maidstone council spokesman said: “Bins would be our preference and some of the properties already have them, but the issue is storage.

“The pavement is not wide enough for us to agree to the bins being left out.

“However we will get better at ensuring the sacks are collected as per the schedule and deal with any bags that are presented at the wrong time.”

Cllr Harwood suggested a paved area next to the entrance to the J&S Motorcycle Accessories store could take a paladin bin.

He added: “It has always been treated as public highway as long as I can remember and it has an ongoing problem with unauthorised parking on it.”

Meanwhile, numerous residents of Maidstone, together with Swale and Ashford, have been reporting problems with their bins being emptied.

It comes after a new waste contract came into force at the end of last month, with Biffa being replaced by Suez.