THREE East Lancashire household waste recycling centres are up for the axe.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands Great Harwood, Bacup and Colne’s centres have been recommended as suitable for closure as part of a major cost cutting exercise.

Staff at the affected centres were today told they could lose their jobs in November, if recommendations made following a review of centres go ahead. However a public consultation will be carried out before a final decision is made.

Following announcements yesterday, staff were said to be ‘deeply upset’.

A Great Harwood recycling plant user said: “I go the centre every day and when I turned up, half the staff were in tears. They’d just been told their jobs are likely to be history.

“They just couldn’t believe it.”

Great Harwood County Councillor Ciaran Wells said: “My guess is people will be 100 per cent against the suggested closures, but that they will go ahead with their plans either way.”

“It just seems strange to tell staff one day their jobs are in danger but to say that consultation is still ongoing.

“Obviously no one is going to get in touch with the council in favour of closing a public service.”

The proposals follow an 18-month review into the provision of the centres by Lancashire County Council.