A RECYCLING centre goer has aired her frustration at having to wait the best part of an hour to get access to the site.

‘I arrived at the facility at 4.15pm having driven from Teignmouth on a warm, dry afternoon, with a boot full of mixed items to dispose of’ said Maria Fuller.

‘I was in a queue of approximately ten vehicles, which were all stationary’ she added.  

It quickly became apparent, however, that no vehicles were coming out of the centre on Brunel Road.

‘I waited in that queue for 45 minutes - my car eventually moved forward at 5pm’ Maria said.

‘There was no announcement of why we were all held for 45 mins, no apology, no explanation.

‘Due to the length of the time, I’d been waiting, I desperately needed drinking water, and I needed a pee - I hadn’t planned on being sat stationery in my car for 45 minutes.

‘I think it is unacceptable to expect people to wait this long on a Saturday, or any day’ she added.

The delay was likely a result of ‘compacting’, which happens when the rubbish needs to be cleared.

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: ‘When containers are full they have to be changed over and this may result in the site or part of the site being closed for periods during the day.

‘When this happens, for safety reasons, the public are asked to remain in their vehicles until this has been completed.

‘We apologise for the inconvenience but unfortunately it is unavoidable.’