BOLTON'S litter problem is set to become worse because of council cash cuts.

Bins will be emptied less frequently, the streets will not be swept as often and a plan to take on an enforcement officer has been axed.

Planning and environment committee councillors yesterday agreed to cuts of £832,000.

Main roads will no longer be swept every week, shopping streets will not be cleaned every day and some residential roads will be swept fortnightly instead of weekly.

Litter bins will be emptied twice weekly instead of daily - except in the town centre.

Wheelie bins will also no longer be replaced free of charge. Councillors will decide over the next few weeks how much to charge for replacements, but it is likely to be around £35.

Eighteen jobs will go across the department as a result of the cuts - although there are unlikely to be compulsory redundancies.

There will be a cut of £108,000 in the road maintenance budget which will mean that many of Bolton's crumbling roads will not be repaired.

Street lights will now be changed every three years instead of every two at present. Mr Ray Jefferson, Director of Planning and Engineering Services, said: "These reductions are going to make a significant impact.

"But we have have tried to maintain front line services."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.