From Autumn next year, Selby District Council could introduce changes which will see waste collected on a fortnightly rotation system to meet its recycling obligations.

As reported in the Selby Times two weeks ago, Mr Adams is urging the council to rethink its collection strategy as he claims residents want to dump it.

On Friday, he recruited local government minister Eric Pickles from Tory central to knock on doors and speak to townsfolk about the contentious scheme.

Mr Adams said: "From the people I've spoken to, it seems they don't want collections every two weeks.

"Hopefully, the shadow minister can convince someone not to introduce these plans."

Mr Pickles, communities and local government minister, added: "I don't think we need to be penalising people if they don't recycle.

"We need to be encouraging them to do so and give them some incentive to do this, perhaps through a tax rebate."

But the council is reassuring residents that they will not be left
without additional support during the proposed change to a new waste and recycling collection system.

It said details of the new service are yet to be finalised, but it was anticipated changes to the service will start in October 2009.