A CLERGYMAN who cleared up rubbish from public woodlands was told off by a council for removing waste that was not on his property.

The Rev Dale Barton was further angered after Blackburn with Darwen Council refused to take the dozen sacks of litter to the tip as it said they were now his property.

A boss at the council has apologised to Mr Barton and blamed the "mix up" on "human error".

Mr Barton, 57, of St Vincent Court, Blackburn, said he was angered at the council's response given the local authority's high-profile Thrash the Trash campaign to get the public involved in clearing up communities.

He voluntarily cleared rubbish dumped on public woodlands behind his property.

McDonalds fast-food wrappers, bottles and an estate agents' board were among the dumped waste collected by Mr Barton.

After collecting half a dozen sacks of litter, the Church of England inter-faith development officer took them to his home then contacted the council to remove them.

He said a council worker questioned why he had removed the rubbish as it was not on his property.

And he then entered into a dispute with the council over the removal of the sacks.

Mr Barton said the officer told him the bags now belonged to him and it was therefore his responsibility to dispose of them as they were no longer council property.

It took the council more than a week before refuse collectors took the bags away.

Mr Barton said: "I rang up the council and said what I had done. I did not even get a thank you' from them. They gave me the third degree about whose land it was.

"I removed the rubbish for two reasons: one because it is unsightly behind my home and the woodland is a corridor for local wildlife.

"I have cleared that piece of woodland for three to four years. They say the Thrash the Trash' council campaign is to encourage active citizenship - you are joking."

Peter Hunt, director of environment for the council, apologised to Mr Barton. He said: "The council welcomes a positive response from members of the public in taking action to maintain and improve their neighbourh-oods, which is at the heart of the Thrash the Trash' campaign - the council and public working together.

"The council would like to thank Dale Barton for his hard work and apologise to him as human error has led to a mix-up in the follow-up procedure that should have occurred."