MALVERN town councillors are hoping to put the blocks on any moves to introduce wheelie bins for refuse collection in the town.

They voted unanimously at a special meeting of the full town council to oppose the introduction of the bins and abolition of weekly waste collections.

Although the town council has no responsibility for refuse collection, it plans to write to Malvern Hills District Council stating its position.

Coun Adrian Ward said there were a number of reasons why wheelie bins were unsuitable for the town.

"Malvern is on a very steep hill and wheelie bins were tried some years ago and were not that successful. There are steep drives to people's homes and elderly people cannot handle them."

He said if they were unsuitable in some places the district council would have to provide a bag collection as well as wheelie bin service using different vehicles, which would add to the expense.

He said: "They are also unsightly and experience suggests people do not always store them in their back gardens. We are supposed to be in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Wheelie bins are not going to enhance the area.

"There are improvements we can make in Malvern but the system we have seems to work. Why change it?"

At the meeting, councillors also backed the idea that parking should be free in town car parks from 6pm to 8am.

Coun Ward said: "It is illogical that we are trying to get people to come into the town in the evening and then charge them for parking. We do not believe it would make too much of a dent in the finances if parking was free."

Town clerk Richard Chapman will now write to the district council on the issue.