EAST Lancashire's household waste recycling centres will remain open subject to social distancing guidelines despite the coronavirus outbreak , it was confirmed today

Both Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough are urging people not to visit them unless really necessary.

Site staff have been instructed not to help people carry items to the skips in order to observe social distancing.

Blackburn with Darwen Council runs two household waste recycling centres at George Street West, Blackburn and Springvale Road, Darwen.

Lancashire County Council runs 15, of which 14 will remain open after the centre at Garstang closed on Sunday until further notice due to staffing issues related to coronavirus.

Those remaining open include Whinney Hill Road in Altham; West Close Road, Barnoldswick; Burnley's Heasandford centre in Balderstone Lane; Henthorn Road in Clitheroe; Duckworth Clough in Clough End Road in Haslingden' and Chapel Hill Road in Longridge - Chapel Hill Road.

The centres were all very busy at the weekend.

Cllr Geoff Driver, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "We want to keep providing the recycling sites, however it's extremely concerning that the way they were being used this weekend clearly went against the vital government advice on social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

"We also had some reports of people being abusive towards recycling centre staff because the sites were so busy. Our overwhelming concern is that visitors were putting their own and staff welfare at risk by the way they were using the service, due to not social distancing."