IF Karan Whittaker had put her bin out today, it would have been a steep task. That's because every time she puts the wheelie-bin out now, she will have to lug it down 27 steep steps.

When it has been emptied, she will have to haul it back up again. Instead of that, Mrs Whittaker and other residents of Glenview Terrace, Ynysddu, are refusing to carry their bins down the steps they have dubbed the North Face of the Eiger from today.

That's despite a new ruling from Caerphilly council which says they have to do it. Mrs Whittaker, 45, said the steps in the street are so steep if people took the rubbish down the garden there would be, inevitably, an accident. She said: "There are elderly and disabled people in the street and I don't know how they are going to manage."

The council has told her that leaving the bins at the bottom of the steps is not an option. She said: "If the bins at the front of the property cause any damage, through no fault of our own, then we are liable to pay compensation."

They can't continue, either, to have the bins emptied from a narrow lane at the back of the houses - the council says it is potentially dangerous.

Mrs Whittaker says that there has been no problem in collecting rubbish from her back garden in the 18 years that she has been living in Glenview Terrace.

She said: "They are claiming that it is hazardous to collect rubbish from the backyard because children play out there but I've never seen anyone out there at six in the morning when the council collects rubbish."

A spokesman for Caer-philly council said: "Coll-ections from some narrow lanes pose dangers to members of the public, collection staff, property and vehicles. "Unfortunately the authority has no option but to change the collection arr-angements in problem areas.

"Although the new arr-angements may cause some inconvenience, hopefully most people will agree that safety must always come first and these are necessary measures." Ynysddu councillor Donald Cullen said: "I can sympathise with some of the people's concerns but this is all about providing an efficient service and ensuring the safety of our workmen."

Councillor Cullen said many of the lanes were too narrow for the larger trucks belonging to the council and that parked cars often blocked access.

PICTURED: Karan Whittaker struggles with the bin on the steps to her home.