IT has become the storm after the storm.

Across Scotland residents are getting increasingly peeved at the build up of reminders of the big day almost three weeks ago, Christmas trees.

It is estimated tens of thousands of Christmas trees will be swept up from streets for recycling as the post festive season clear-up operation continues.

In some areas of the capital the designated collection days are not until January 24.

But the well-intentioned clusters of trees bundled outside homes to be collected to be turned into compost for parks and gardens across the country have become a headache in some areas.

Residents have complained of a build-up on streets and around tenemental closes, believing in some instances that the authorities have missed their collection. In other cases trees have been left out too late or early.

With little let-up in the stormy weather in the past week, the trees have also become a hazard after being blown along thoroughfares by gale force winds and prompting many to take to social media.

Ahmed Khalifa €tweeted: "Plenty of bins, tree branches and of course, Christmas trees on the roads of Edinburgh today."

Cammy Stemp €added: "Driving through the centre of Edinburgh and what looked like someone's Christmas tree rolled past my car as I drove along."

Harriet Wood €tweeted: "Dundas street is like a ChristmasTree massacre. What a mess."

Richard Taylor €said: "Christmas tree recycling and Scotstorm don't really mix."

Edinburgh Council said it had set days in particular areas for collection, adding it was unaware of any areas being missed out.

The authority also said trees had to be placed at kerbsides by 6am on the designated pick-up day and those who missed it would have to wait another week for the collection.

In Glasgow, only households with garden waste bins get their trees collected from their front doors.

It said real trees could be taken to the household waste recycling centres at three locations or to Pollok, Alexandra and Kelvingrove Parks between January 3 and 18.

But one west end resident said: "Our close has been full of decaying Christmas trees for the past week. The scheduled council pick up was today, more than two weeks after Christmas Day. I'm pretty hacked off, as is the rest of the close."

Nearly 70,000 Christmas trees were thought to have been bought in Glasgow alone this year, most of which will be thrown away generating over 1,360 tonnes of additional rubbish.

Not all councils carry out dedicated tree collections.