A family of six who had their wheelie bin crushed in error have battled for two months to get a like-for-like replacement.

The 240-litre household waste bin was crushed by a bin wagon, and after a month of waiting the Womersley family from Hilperton Marsh, Trowbridge, were handed a 140-litre bin.

But the family of six – grandparents David and Valerie, their son Steve, daughter Paula, Valerie’s brother Cyril Hall and grandchildren Hannah, 17, and Joshua, 13 – quickly found themselves struggling to cope with the smaller bin despite mammoth recycling efforts.

Mr Womersley, 77, of Horse Road, said: “All we have been asking for is for our bin to be replaced with one the same size. If they hadn’t crushed our bin we wouldn’t be having this problem.”

After contacting the Wiltshire Times the council promised to replace the bin on Wednesday, despite previously saying the family were not eligible for a bigger bin and should recycle more.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. However, we have now visited Mr and Mrs Womersley, and they are doing a great job of recycling everything they can.

“They have demonstrated that due to their family circumstances they still generate an unavoidable quantity of waste which means they require a larger than standard bin.

“They are a true example of what every household could, and should, be doing to minimise the waste they send to landfill.

“Because of this, we are arranging for their larger bin to be delivered, as the council remains committed to dealing with such issues when brought to its attention.”