HERTSMERE Borough Council has been named as having one of the poorest recycling records in Britain, according to recent Defra figures.

The amount of household waste recycled in Hertsmere rose just one per cent from 11 per cent to 12 per cent from April 2003 to March 2004.

However, the council says that while the figures look poor, the statistics have already turned around as a result of new recycling initiatives.

Morris Bright, borough councillor and portfolio holder for environment, is eager to point out that the figures may have only been recently released, but they are based on the borough's performance almost a year ago.

He said: "I will be the first one to admit that these figures are bad, but the situation now is very different.

"We were not doing enough in the way of recycling, but over the past year we have done a lot more.

"Hertsmere's history was not one, up until last year, that we could be proud of, but we have introduced the Green Waste Scheme which is being rolled out across the borough and this has already had a dramatic effect."

Mr Bright said that recent figures show that between September and November last year, when the green waste scheme was introduced in Bushey, Radlett and Aldenham, household waste recycling climbed five per cent.

The scheme is due to be extended to Borehamwood and Potters Bar this spring, which will also increase the amount of waste recycled.