A New Forest council leader has defended the rollout of a new waste collection service after early criticism.

Cllr Geoffrey Blunden, the portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, addressed concerns in an open letter to New Forest District Council residents.

It comes after criticism in recent weeks, with former mayor of Lymington Cllr Jack Davies previously hitting out at what he called "widespread confusion, missed deliveries and uncollected waste".

Lymington's new mayor, Cllr Colm McCarthy, described the situation as "a shambles".

But while Cllr Blunden acknowledged reports of missed collections, he insisted they account for less than one per cent of the total, with crews making almost 200,000 collections each week.

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According to Cllr Blunden, the "vast majority" of residents have faced no disruption and are embracing the new system.

He said: "The majority of the 31,000 households in the phase one area are now using the new system as intended, with bins being emptied as scheduled and materials being sorted for recycling more effectively."

The transition, which began in early June, reportedly resulted in the recycling of over 100 tonnes of food waste in the first three weeks.

However, Cllr Blunden apologised for the continued frustration experienced by a small number of residents.

He assured them that resolving these issues is a priority, with extra crews being deployed and routes being refined daily.

Residents in phases two and three of the rollout, who are still on the old collection system, were also acknowledged for their patience amid occasional disruptions.