COUNCIL chiefs and waste staff hit the streets to help neighbours on a Bolton estate get to grips with new bin collections.

The authority changed from weekly to fortnightly grey bin collections last month in an effort to save money on disposal costs.

Instead it has introduced a weekly food waste collection and is encouraging more people to recycle.

In some areas residents have been putting extra waste out with their bins so the authority staged a “day of action” to help educate people on the new regime.

Cllr Elaine Sherrington, Bolton Council's cabinet member for recycling, joined education and enforcement officers at The Lakes estate in Crompton.

The group were joined by three volunteer translators as they chatted to residents to get their feedback and explain more about the council’s new policy.

Cllr Sherrington said: “We’ve been working with local mosques and schools to get the message across.

“It’s been going well but it’s a big change and people just need to get used to it.”

Laura Swan, assistant head of waste and fleet, added: “It’s been going well. We’ll see how today goes and may go to other areas.”

Lena Street resident Fatima Yusuf Chhipa, aged 80, spoke through interpreter Ramna Atif, a volunteer at Halliwell Ucan Centre.

She said: “I haven’t had any trouble with the bin collections, I’ve had no problems with it at all.”

A council spokeswoman said work had already been done in the area.

She added: “For 11 weeks last year the community research team from Bolton at Home went to about 29,000 properties in a number of wards.

“This included visiting 6,625 properties in Crompton and the team spoke to 2,187 residents — 33 per cent — about recycling.

“The door knocking resulted in 327 recycling bin orders in Crompton alone.

“Whilst a great deal of work has taken place to educate and inform residents about how to manage their waste, there are still a number of problems with waste collection, particularly on the lakes estate.

“In this area some residents are presenting the incorrect bins on collection days and there are continuing problems with fly tipping and the presentation of side waste.”