A MAN who has organised recycling collections around Darlington for eight years says residents will suffer under a proposed new scheme.

But Darlington Borough Council, which is planning to run its own recycling scheme for the first time in six years, says it will provide a more wide-ranging service than the one presently on offer.

Michael Grey set up Treesavers to provide kerbside recycling collections for unwanted paper, cardboard and other rubbish.

After a year in business, Darlington council set up a rival scheme, but 12 months later asked Mr Grey to take it over.

This meant he was not only collecting material from residential areas but also from some schools.

Now the council, backed by a £500,000 Government grant, has put out to tender its own recycling service, which will run in competition with Mr Grey, who employs 11 staff.

Mr Grey said: "I will conti-nue to operate, but this could put me out of business.

"I operate a weekly service, whilst the council is suggesting just collecting recycling every fortnight.

"I have not put in for the council's tender because I don't think people will be happy with a fortnightly service and I do not want to take the flak."

Much of Mr Grey's income has come from recycling credits, which is the amount the council pays him to carry out the work which saves them spending money on rubbish collection.

The credits will stop once the council has appointed a company to carry out the collections.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said it wanted to provide an efficient, reliable recycling service that would be available for everyone in the Darlington borough, including some villages that were not served by Treesavers.

He said: "We get loads of calls from people saying they want to recycle from home and this will allow them to recycle much more than paper."

But Mr Grey claims he serves 90 per cent of the community and only pulled out of two villages where there was no demand.

Ten companies have tendered to run the recycling service.

The council spokesman said they had all been given Treesavers' details to see if they could incorporate its staff in their operation.