Despite pleas from the Works & Engineering Ministry and Members of Parliament, residents of a Pembroke neighbourhood continue to dump trash any day of the week.

Residents of a densely populated area of Pembroke, known as Middle Town, have been dumping garbage outside of designated days for several years -- even though Government reverted to a twice-a-week pick-up schedule.

It is understood that Works and Engineering trash truck crews go to the King Street North and Middle Town Lane area several times a week in what are called "blitzes'' because of the health hazard the road side trash piles pose.

Works Minister Alex Scott said the problem could be traced back to the institution of once a week trash pick-up.

Mr. Scott said: "The problem is a historic one. What happened is that when Government went to the once-a-week service, certain people in the neighbourhood decided to ignore the official day.'' Even with the election of the Progressive Labour Party and the reinstitution of twice-weekly service in April, the correct pick-up days of Tuesdays and Fridays are still being ignored.

"The Ministry has been over there as well as area MPs,'' he said. "The problem is that people are putting the trash out but not when it should be collected. The moment the neighbours cooperate, the problem will be solved.'' Mr. Scott said it was through the initiative of Works and Engineering crews that the trash is picked up in the blitzes.

"This has to be brought to the public's eye. It is something that Works and Engineering has been aware of for some time,'' Mr. Scott said.

Area resident Gladstone Headlam said people put trash next to his property at all hours of the day and the smell had forced him to move the entrance to his property.

Garbage problem In addition, the road adjacent to Mr. Headlam's property is crumbling and Works and Engineering have tasked the area for roadworks, but it is among several areas that need attention.

Residents on Middletown Lane must carry their household trash up to the junction with King Street North -- inside the Hamilton city limits.

Corporation of Hamilton secretary Roger Sherratt said he was aware of the problem.

"We wrote to the Ministry in February outlining the problem,'' Mr. Sherratt said. "Some residents don't want to put the trash outside their homes. And they put it outside Mr. Headlam's home throughout the week.'' Mr. Sherratt added: "We were assured that work to stabilise the road would be carried out within a financial year. Trucks cannot drive down that lane.'' "We've asked them (Works and Engineering) to display a sign up there,'' Mr.

Headlam said this week. "They said the road was too narrow so people send their children all the way up the hill with shopping carts full of trash.'' "The people here are not dirty people,'' he added. "The trash just piles up.

Some neighbours clean it up. Even the young men that hang out around here clean it up.''