WEEKLY bin collections could be reinstated in Bolton.

A revolt is growing within the council over new bin rounds which mean that household wheelie bins are only emptied once a fortnight.

Conservative councillors have tabled a motion calling for the controversial scheme to be scrapped.

And senior Labour figures have indicated they are likely to back the call when the Tory resolution is discussed next week.

The leader of the council, Barbara Ronson, has admitted for the first time that the ruling Liberal Democrat group on the council may perform a U-turn - and move back to weekly collections - but only if the Tory and Labour parties can suggest a viable way of administering it.

Under the council's new bin rounds, grey household wheelie bins are emptied once a fortnight, with recycling containers being collected in alternate weeks.

The scheme has been designed to ensure the council meets Government recycling targets by next March.

But the move has been dogged with problems, with many householders complaining of bins becoming health hazards and collections not taking place when advertised.

The scheme was introduced to 30,000 homes in western wards of the borough earlier this year and is due to be extended to 25,000 homes in Bradshaw, Bromley Cross, Tonge Moor, Breightmet and parts of Astley Bridge and Crompton on October 10.

The Conservative call for the scrappping of the scheme will be discussed at a full meeting of the council.

Councillor Ronson said: "If they can prove to us they can come up with a scheme which will reduce the amount of residual waste and meet the costs, we will consider what they have got to say - but they have got a lot of questions to answer.

"We are not committing ourselves to anything at this stage but we have continually asked the other parties for their ideas and comments around this issue.

"As far as I'm concerned it is not a matter of going back to something. We have to go forward and it is just a matter of how we do that."

Cllr Ronson added she still believes the best system is in place to encourage recycling, meet strict Government targets and balance the council's books.

Her "put-up or shut up" ultimatum came after both Labour and the Conservatives said they would revert to a weekly grey residual bin collection if they gain control of the council at the next election or sooner.

The Tory motion to be discussed will call on the council to suspend the introduction of any further fortnightly waste collection and reinstate a weekly collection in western wards of the borough.

Leader of the Labour Party, Cllr Cliff Morris, said he supported "99 per cent" of the motion and would meet with his colleagues to discuss the level of their support ahead of the council chamber vote on Wednesday.

Opposition groups cannot force the council to abandon the current scheme but if the motion is successful it would put pressure on the minority Lib Dem leadership to back down.

A similar scheme in Bury was abandoned shortly before the June, 2004, election after it proved unpopular with voters.

Conservative leader Cllr Alan Rushton said: "We realise that recycling does work but the inconvenience for people outweighs the success. We are confident we could improve recycling, meet the costs and reintroduce weekly bin collections. It is a matter of priorities and we would find money elsewhere in the budget to cover the cost."

He said his party would keep the extra collection of recycling containers such as the green box, papers sacks and green bins in place.

Cllr Nick Peel, Labour's environmental spokesman, said: "We would also go back to weekly collections. If we are on course to meet the recycling targets, let us try and sort the problems out."