A BROMYARD hotel owner was shocked when Herefordshire Council told him he was not allowed to recycle glass bottles.

Dave Cole, owner of the Hop Pole Hotel in The Square, wanted to transport glass drinks bottles used in the bar to the recycling bank on the Linton Trading Estate.

When he told Herefordshire Council he was going to do this and said he would need a smaller bin, he was told he could not take trade waste off the premises.

"I'm the biggest glass user in Bromyard and I'm not allowed to recycle," he said.

"I was just trying to do my bit for the environment and reduce my business costs by having a smaller bin.

"It wouldn't have been any trouble to the council because I would have taken the bottles to the bottle bank personally."

Nicola Short, assistant trade waste officer for Herefordshire Council, said it would be illegal for Mr Cole to take his bottles off the premises for recycling. Trade waste has to be disposed of in a certain way under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

"It's not illegal for him to recycle the bottles. It's just the way he wanted to do it," she said.

"We've got to keep all domestic recycling separate from commercial recycling and bottle banks are for domestic use only."

Bobbie Hadley, policy officer for environmental health and trading standards, said that Herefordshire Council does not currently re- cycle trade or commercial waste.

However, she said more than 100 Herefordshire businesses attended waste workshops held on September 11 and said they wanted the council to devise schemes to collect glass, paper and plastic, which it can get dispensation to do.

"We agreed to work with the Environment Agency and the problem should be addressed by the new year," she said.