REFUSE collections and leisure centre opening times will be affected over Christmas and New Year.

Bins which would have been emptied next Wednesday, i.e. Christmas Day, will be picked up on Monday instead (Dec 23).

The Boxing Day bins will be emptied the following Thursday (Jan 2), and Friday's (Dec 27) collection is also postponed for one week.

Collections scheduled for New Year's Day will be taken two days earlier, on December 30.

The civic amenity sites at Bury, Radcliffe and Prestwich will be open every day between 8am-6pm, except on Christmas Day. Christmas trees can be taken to these sites for recycling.

Opening times for local leisure centres and pools are:

Castle Leisure Centre, Bury: open as normal December 20-23 and from 8am-4pm on Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Open on December 27, 8am-4pm; December 28, 8am-5pm; December 29, 8am-3.30pm; December 30 and 31, 8am-4pm. Closed New Year's Day.

Radcliffe Pool: open as normal December 20-23 and then closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and December 27. Open on December 28, 8am-4pm; December 29, 8am-1.30pm; December 30, 8am-4.30pm. Closed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Ramsbottom Pool: open as normal December 20-23. Closed December 24-27. Open 8am-4pm on December 28; December 29, 8am-noon; December 30, 8am-4pm. Closed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Goshen Centre, Bury: open as normal December 20-22, then closed until January 2.

Philips Centre, Whitefield: open as normal on December 20; December 21-22, 10am-4pm; then closed until Thursday 2 January.

Coney Green Centre, Radcliffe: open as normal on December 20 and then closed until January 2.