By Matt Smith

RESIDENTS will be charged to get rid of their bulky rubbish and extra trash from April 1.

Redditch Council will charge £5 to collect up to three big pieces of rubbish, including three-piece suites, beds and other furniture.

The council said more than 36,000 bulky refuse collections were booked last year and statistics showed the service was used again and again by the same people.

Environment services manager Guy Revans said: "By charging householders for this service, we hope to encourage more of them to find ways they can reuse rather than simply disposing of their unwanted furniture and other bulky rubbish.

"Usable furniture can be re-sold via free ads or given to the furniture project at Evesham."

But the charges do not stop there. People will also have to fork out another £5 for special orange sacks to get rid of extra weekly rubbish which does not fit in their wheelie bins.

The roll of five bags can be bought from the town hall, neighbourhood offices, Forge Mill Museum, the tourist information office and Arrow Valley Countryside Centre.

Mr Revans said: "We collect a staggering amount of rubbish each week but there are many ways residents can reduce the amount put out for collection."

For more details on collections, call 534048.