GREEN campaigner Hannah Lovegrove today called for better recycling facilities in Bridport.

She has hit out at overflowing recycling bins in the car park at the Co-op in Sea Road North.

Ms Lovegrove, who is a member of Turn Lyme Green, said that she was shocked and horrified at the sight of the rubbish scattered around the bins and that it was not the first time this has happened.

She said: "I often find this with recycling facilities.

"They get full at certain periods and then people leave their rubbish in whatever they have brought it in and it stays there even when the bins are emptied.

"There is a big lack of plastic recycling and that's clear when you see this sort of thing.

"Even the glass bottle bank is full and people still need the recycling even with doorstep collection.

"The problem is huge as this scene demonstrates."

Ms Lovegrove said the recycling bin itself was not full when she saw the rubbish.

She added: "I think the bins were full to overflowing and the full ones were taken away and the overflow was left behind. People just leave it there.

"Flattened bottles get blown about the car park. The same happens when the paper bank is overflowing. Paper just blows around all over the recreational fields next door."

She said that it was a huge problem for West Dorset District Council, compounded by the fact that so much packaging is now plastic rather than glass.

She said: "It makes householders feel like fly tippers, and are they in fact breaking the law when they leave their rubbish outside the bins?

"They need to provide adequate facilities, that is the answer. I think on lots of levels this is a significant environmental issue."

West Dorset District Council has apologised and vowed to take immediate action.

Recycling officer Leah Wistrand said: "The site has been inspected by district council staff and the majority of the rubbish has been cleared away with the remainder being picked up.

"We apologise for the build-up which has been caused by a combination of staff shortages and a change in contractors.

"Areas around recycling collection banks are usually cleaned weekly but we do depend on the public to make proper use of the facilities.

"The recycling banks are emptied regularly but problems with them can be reported by calling the telephone numbers shown on each container."