Angry residents hit out at councillors after a bid to overturn a rule preventing bin lorries from entering lanes across East Renfrewshire was snubbed.

Independent councillors David MacDonald and Paul Aitken criticised the regulations, which were brought in last October, branding them “unacceptable.”

Cllr MacDonald claimed that youths had been setting bins alight on streets and one household had two cars blown up after a bin fire spread.

But SNP, Labour and Conservative members claimed the move to avoid lanes was due to health and safety fears.

That prompted angry shouts of “shame” from the public gallery, with Provost Jim Fletcher threatening to have residents removed.

Speaking after his motion to overturn the rule was rejected by 15 votes to two, Cllr MacDonald said: “Some of the distances that people are being asked to take their bins are in excess of 50 to 100 metres.

“In my view this is an extremely bad decision made by ERC officers that benefits council employees only and has no benefit whatsoever to residents.

“Residents are fundamentally being forced to partially collect their own refuse and recycling and I find this to be totally unacceptable.”

Cllr MacDonald said wheelie bins were regularly stolen and burned in Netherlee and Stamperland.

Backing his colleague, Cllr Aitken said: “Sometimes pedestrians have to walk on the road because the bins have taken up the access on the pavements.

“I think bin lorries can endanger pedestrians on public roads whereas nobody is on the bin lanes. In my opinion there is less chance of people being injured when using bin lanes.”

However, council leader Tony Buchanan said councillors were simply supporting recommendations made by the environmental department.

He added: “The last thing that we could have would be support for something that would cause injury or something far worse.”

Conservative group leader Stewart Miller admitted he had previously supported lorries being allowed to use lanes but insisted that, after researching the issue, he changed his mind.

The SNP’s Netherlee councillor Annette Ireland backed the council’s decision to reject the motion, claiming her decision was not politically motivated.

She said: “It’s only a matter of time, if these lorries are allowed back into these environments, that someone will be gravely injured.”