Neighbours who made use of a skip were furious when the hire company dumped the refuse back on their drives - twice.

The saga began when sewer pipes subsided in front of terrace houses at Kings Orchard, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, near Wallingford.

An insurance company for one of the householders, Karen Thompson, contracted Derby-based Drain Technicians to carry out repair work. The insurance company also booked a skip from Geoff Parker, of GD Parker Skip Hire, Hundridge Farm, Ipsden Heath.

When the work was completed, workmen invited neighbours to add their rubbish to the half-empty skip.

However, before removing the skip, Mr Parker unloaded the 'extra' rubbish in front of Mrs Thompson's garage door.

Mrs Thompson then called Drain Technicians to find out what was happening.

Drain Technicians rang Mr Parker and put a stop on his cheque. Mr Parker returned the skip to Brightwell-cum-Sotwell - still half-full of sewer pipes - and tipped the skip contents across the driveway of Delia Prue.

Neighbours were eventually forced to clear the mess in another skip hired by Mrs Thompson.

Drain Technicians reimbursed Mrs Thompson for the skip she had hired, instead of paying Mr Parker.

Mrs Thompson said: "It's just not the way to do business". He said he had only been contracted to take away the skip with the drains refuse. I offered a three-yard skip to the workmen at a special price because I knew it would only be half-full.

"When I came to collect it, there was more on the top than in the bottom."