Northampton and Daventry councils both said staff had been assessing the conditions and had decided they could not collect rubbish.

BBC: Northampton town centre

The army will even supervise the private companies that collect the rubbish in Colombo.

ECONOMIST: A victorious army keeps busy despite the lack of an enemy

Although the election was only for local councils, more important things were at issue than who will collect the rubbish.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

The simplest method is to collect the rubbish less often.

ECONOMIST: Less is more

He is now concentrating on relatively non-controversial projects such as a city-wide clean-up (though he tactlessly, and unsuccessfully, asked the workers to collect the rubbish after hours without charging overtime).

ECONOMIST: Miami politics

May Gurney employs more that 6, 000 people and mend potholes, collect and recycle household rubbish, clean streets, repair street lights and rebuild railway bridges.

BBC: 'Outsource more council services'

Others sift through rubbish for items of value, sell milk or collect dung.

ECONOMIST: Economics focus: The in-betweeners | The