BLACKBURN and Darwen’s popular free Saturday morning bulky waste collection scheme returns after a summer break.

Tomorrow Audley residents will have the opportunity to dispose of items of ‘bulky’ domestic rubbish without cost.

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Staff and special ‘caged’ vehicles will be on hand at two locations during the morning.

Examples of the types of rubbish that can be disposed of are carpets, broken furniture and general bagged rubbish.

However, items such as plasterboard and asbestos roofing will not be accepted for safety reasons.

The locations in Audley tomorrow are: l From 9am to 10.30am at the Copperfield Street /Dombey Street junction; l From 9.30am to 11am at the Pringle Street/Chester Close junction.

The staff will also spend some time in the immediately-adjoining back-street areas removing dumped rubbish, gathering any evidence for enforcement action and putting up ‘no dumping’ signs.

It is the first event to mark the return of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s free Saturday morning bulky waste collections.

The scheme, which allows residents to get rid of larger waste items conveniently and locally without charge, visits different areas every few weeks.

It is brought into operation at between two and four locations identified as ‘fly-tipping’ hotspots or where residents have contacted local ward councillors to ask for it to come to their neighbourhood.

Council environment boss Jim Smith, in charge of the project, said: “I am glad we can offer this scheme again.

“We have had great success with it in the past and it helps everyone in the community to play their part in keeping their area tidy and clean.

“People who dump waste illegally are in the minority and we will continue to prosecute, name and shame those who are found to be blighting our community by fly-tipping on our borough’s streets.”