REFUSE collection arrangements have been amended by a council following disruption because of the weekend's high winds.

Last Saturday, Houghton-le-Spring households were among those due to have their first collection of 2005. But the overnight storms led to the cancellation of the collections for health and safety reasons.

Environmental services officials at Sunderland City Council apologised for the disruption to schedules already changed because of Christmas and New Year.

Households that missed collections last Saturday, which are on the usual Wednesday schedule, will now have their wheelie bins emptied tomorrow.

Plastic refuse sacks have been issued to the affected households to help residents to cope with extra rubbish