Bradford Council has again been condemned over wheelie bins - this time for not promoting recycling.

The attack follows the release of statistics showing the majority of residents believe that more could be done.

Liberal Democrats said the findings proved the ruling Labour group had failed to use the introduction of wheelie bins to provide more recycling services.

But Councillor Keith Thomson, Labour chairman of the Council's waste management sub-committee, said budget constraints limited recycling levels because it costs twice as much as traditional forms of disposal.

He said the Council was pushing ahead with practical solutions such as the promotion of paper, glass and plastic banks and home composting facilities.

Councillor Sam Micklem, the Liberal Democrat's environment and sustainability spokesperson, said: "These bins promised so much in terms of recycling, but Labour has yet to deliver."

The statistics showed 55 per cent of the 1,000 people questioned thought the Council hadn't done enough for recycling.

The findings showed only 23 per cent believed the Council were getting things right in terms of recycling, compared to more than 70 per cent last year.

Coun Micklem believes the Council should have supplied two 120 litre bins, with one for recycling, rather than introducing single 240 litre versions.

He said: "By introducing bigger bins with no recycling element, the Council is sending out a pessimistic message on recycling."

Coun Thomson said: "At the moment we just do not have the money to recycle all household rubbish in the way. It is very, very costly - around twice as much as the current method."

Coun Thompson added that the statistics did not paint a true picture of the facts. Although they showed that 75 per cent of respondents had complained about refuse collection - compared to 25 per cent the year before - the "vast majority" of these were actually inquiries, he said.

"The statistics show any calls to our telephone hotline as a complaint rather that a formal contact."

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