THE amount of rubbish being disposed of at landfill sites is soaring as householders struggle to cope with the new alternate weekly collections.

New figures show that the amount of rubbish taken to Blackrod tip has risen by 20 per cent since the collection of grey rubbish bins was changed to fortnightly in western wards of the borough.

Tory Cllr Stuart Lever claims the figures prove that residents are unable to cope with new recycling containers which are collected on alternate weeks and vowed his party would reinstate the weekly collection if they take control of Bolton Council in May's election.

But Cllr Roger Hayes, the Liberal Democrat executive member for environmental services, has questioned the validity of his figures and said they were being looked into. He also confirmed that a date is due to be announced for phase three of the scheme when another 25,000 homes, this time in parts of Halliwell, Smithills, Crompton, Heaton and the Haulgh will switch to an alternate collection.

In the third quarter of this year 824 tonnes of rubbish was deposited at the Blackrod tip, 139 tonnes more than in the three months before the weekly emptying of grey household bins was stopped. The figures buck general trends which show less waste is being dumped at landfill sites.

Cllr Lever, who represents the Astley Bridge ward, said: "This alternate collection is the stupidest idea I have ever heard. The bottom line is that people pay a lot of council tax and want their bins collecting every week."

He also claimed that the scheme would soon face a much tougher test when it is introduced to other areas of the borough.

Around 55,000 homes across the borough are now covered by the scheme which was introduced to western wards of the borough including Horwich, Westhoughton and Blackrod in June. It was extended to northern areas including Bradshaw, Bromley Cross and Tonge Moor last month and will eventually cover all of the borough.