A COUNCILLOR has criticised proposals to alter the way refuse is collected in Darlington as a cost-cutting exercise.

Darlington Borough Council's refuse collection system is one of the most expensive in the country and the authority is making changes from the start of next month to save £200,000-a-year.

At present, the council employs two teams. The first tours streets bringing bins and refuse sacks out of premises, ready for a second team to load it on to wagons.

Through a mixture of redeployment, early retirement, voluntary redundancies and non-replacement of workers, the council is cutting its wage bill by scrapping the first team.

Consequently, people are being asked to carry their refuse sacks to the side of the road for collection.

Councillor Bill Stenson argues that this means many residents, among them pensioners, will have to get up as early as 7am to have their refuse sacks ready for 7.30am collections. The alternative is to leave the sacks out overnight to be rifled by vermin, dogs and cats.

Coun Stenson said: "I think it's an inconvenience. I think it is wrong to try to bring in these rules like this."

He said people who were retiring after 45 years of early rising would find themselves having to get up to put their rubbish out at 7am because of town hall bureaucracy.

The council said it had decided to make the changes after a Best Value review called for a more efficient and cost-effective service.