SWEEPING changes should banish Bank Holiday bin blues for thousands of residents.

Town hall bosses are scrapping the collection of domestic waste on Mondays following repeated complaints.

Many people whose bin day is Monday were unhappy that their bins were not emptied until the following week whenever there was a Bank Holiday.

From April 1, bins will now only be emptied from Tuesday to Friday, as will the new white bags for recycling newspapers.

And in another improvement, residents will be able to phone and have their bulky household waste removed free of charge, instead of having to pay.

This service, aimed at reducing fly-tipping, will replace the successful but limited Operation Springclean scheme. Each area will have a designated collection day. To book a collection, maximum six items, ring 253 5353.

People whose bins are emptied on Mondays will soon be notified of the changes by a label placed on their wheelie bin.

New calendars telling people when to put out their white recycling bags are being sent to every home in the borough, as is a leaflet detailing the service.

Councillor Wayne Campbell, environment chairman, said: "We have been taking a long, hard look at our refuse collection service and believe that these changes will bring real advantages for local people.

"The Bank Holiday Monday collections have been the cause of difficulties for too many years and we feel we have finally solved that problem.

"Likewise, bulk waste collections have needed to be tackled and we believe our new free service will immediately be a big hit with residents.

"We hope it will also serve as a deterrent against fly tipping and the environmental problems created by such actions."