Just thought I'd update you all on what the situation now is...
I have yet to report them to the RSCPA but this has been a very difficult decision for me.
Basically, as I said, I was leaving food out for the cats and they were wolfing it down in seconds.
However, the neighbour came out and started talking to my husband today and said that he had noticed we had been feeding the cats!
rather than be angry (which I thought he would of been) he said thankyou and said that apparently they eat 'like horses' and will devour anything that's put infront of them.
Also, he told my husband that the mother was pining for her kittens that she had lost and that's why she keeps crying... which bizzarly now seems to have stopped.
Granted, to put a cat out for the binmen is absolutely disgusting but I am thinking that they are 'poorly educated' to say the least and maybe think that this kind of behaviour is ok.
Anyhow, I am going to continue to feed the cats and see how things go.
I would always choose the welfare of animals over not wanting to upset a human every time but I do not want to be in a situation where I call the RSPCA and it turns out that I was just overreacting.
My neighbour now knows that I have been feeding the cats and so if the RSPCA were to come out and investigate then he would be sure to know it was me who called them.
He is not really the type of person I would want to get on the wrong side of really but please all rest assured that if I still think something is not right then I will contact the RSPCA with my concerns.
Thanks to all : )