Nearly 1,700 rubbish collections were missed by council binmen last year, according to newly released figures.

Residents reported a total of 1,675 missed collections at their homes between February 2013 and February 2014 – an average of 129 per month.

However, the number of missed collections has seen a general decline over the course of the year, from a high of 338 in February 2013 to just 21 in January of this year.

After a slight dip in Spring 2013, there was a “bulge” of complaints over the summer, rising to 251 in July and 238 in August, before dropping again steeply in the autumn and winter.

The figures were released by Newham Council after a Freedom of Information request from the Recorder.

The Council’s response also revealed 482 complaints from businesses in Newham about their bin collections having been missed over the course of year, at an average of 34 per month.

Newham Council said the number of missed collections was small in comparison with the number it carried out successfully, but added that steps were taken to tackle the problem.

A spokesman said: “We make weekly waste collections at more than 108,000 residential and business properties every week, or 5.6million collections every year.

“The number of reported missed collections is therefore extremely low, at 0.03 per cent of the total.”

He added: “Our hardworking staff provide a better service than privatised crews in other boroughs and our success rates continue to improve, but even one missed collection leaves room for improvement.

“When a collection is reported as missed, we aim to collect it within 24 hours. Residents and businesses can help by ensuring bins are accessible and filled properly, which are two of the main reasons for missed collections.”