A RECYCLING firm is likely to start paper collections from homes in Middlesbrough.

On Tuesday, the borough council is expected to agree that a national firm, Cheshire Recycling, should be given the contract to recycle newspapers and magazines collected from homes.

The company will charge the council the same for each tonne collected as it pays for paper to be treated as waste.

If the council agrees to Cheshire Recycling making collections, it will initially work with 30,000 properties and then extend to the whole borough.

A fortnightly collection will be made, and blue bags will be given to each house for residents to collect newspapers and magazines.

Two people will be employed to make the collections, and the paper will be then sorted and bailed locally before being processed.

The council will decide whether to award a five-year contract to the company at a meeting next week.