A WHEELIE-BIN scheme to increase recycling is being extended to another 12,000 homes.

Householders in Stokesley, Great Ayton, Brompton and the villages surrounding these areas will soon have wheeled bin refuse collections.

They join the 18,000 homes in Bedale, Easingwold and Thirsk that have had the bins for the past nine months.

Since the bins were introduced, recycling in the Hambleton district has risen to 23 per cent - almost 14 per cent higher than in 2001/2002.

The scheme asks residents to separate waste into two wheelie bins - black for general waste and green for garden waste. They are also asked to leave papers for a fortnightly blue bag collection and take cans, glass, plastics and textiles to one of 52 recycling centres in the district.

By the end of next week, all householders in the new areas will have received leaflets giving details of the scheme.

A series of roadshows will take place throughout next month, when council officers will call at 34 venues to give information and answer queries.

Bins will be delivered by the end of August, with the first collections taking place from September 13.