Word reaches us that the ongoing problems with May Gurney, the waste management company in 2011 awarded a massive seven year £96 MILLION CONTRACT* for kerbside recycling collections across the city, will not be sorted out any time soon.

Company bosses have told senior council officers that if they exercise their right to place financial penalties on May Gurney for its continued failure to meet agreed collection targets, then it could go bankrupt.

So even as the waste builds up on our streets because MG – whose revenues rose more than one-fifth in the past financial year in part thanks to the Bristol contract – won’t employ enough people to get the job done properly. Meanwhile, the Council does nothing, because no one wants to risk calling the bluff of a bunch of trash barons – who are about to be quids in thanks to a buy-out.

So that’s what the smell is – a bunch of cowards pissing their pants because of stinking profiteers!

* In putting together the paper edition, we incorrectly cited a figure of £94 million. We are happy to correct this error having found a couple of million quid down the back of George Ferguson’s sofa.