HERTSMERE'S green wheelie bin scheme was given the thumbs up at a meeting last week.

The wheelie bins, intended for garden waste, were introduced in Bushey in August and rolled out to Radlett and Aldenham in September.

Increased efforts over the Christmas period saw complaints drop by 30 per cent, with some residents having their rubbish collected early.

Speaking about the scheme last Wednesday, Councillor Morris Bright, portfolio holder for environment and community services, said: "It has been a good start, but we will not sit smugly on our hands and say well done just yet. We will continue to improve the service.

"Our target for next year is to recycle 21 per cent of household waste in the borough and I am confident that this scheme will help us to achieve this figure."

The introduction of the green garden waste scheme was made possible thanks to funding from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Councillor Seamus Quilty said: "This improvement shows that this is not only a learning council, but an evolving council. We have listened to people's concerns and delivered a good service."

However, not everyone is so upbeat about the situation.

Councillor Michael Colne said: "Despite the improvement, in terms of waste we are very much behind all the other local authorities in Hertfordshire."

Councillor Leon Reefe said: "I have to say, though the improvement has been excellent, it is true that we are a long way behind other councils. We have to concentrate and be more pro-active. I can't see how we're going to catch up at the moment."