DETERMINED neighbours spent hours painstakingly drilling away at an ice-covered road so binmen could safely collect residents’ rubbish.

Since the treacherous impacts of Storm Darcy swept across the county, Tendring Council’s refuse collectors have been unable visit every road. 

As a result, households whose rubbish was due to be picked up during the week commencing February 8, will now have to wait until at least February 22.

Last week, however, residents living in Old Stables, Kirby-le-Soken, were still expecting a waste collection, so took to the street in a bid to make it safer. 

The hardworking group, known only as Reg, Steve, Ian, and Ginny, used a pneumatic drill and shovels to clear the dangerously sloping road’s thick ice.

Ray Enever, 81, who also helped clear the road, said the job took many hours but it was all worth it in the end.

He said: “Our road slopes down to Walton Road and is reasonably blind to traffic from the right. 

"We had a visitor to our road that took nearly an hour to get up the slope and had to be helped by neighbours - we have a good crowd here.

“The ice was over an inch thick and we were afraid that on leaving we would slide out into the Walton Road.

“It took several hours as initially we needed the drill to crack open the ice.

“When the bin men came, they were grateful.

"For the future a grit bin is needed somewhere."