VICTORIOUS Labour councillor Lynn Hyde said it was the thorny issue of wheelie bin collections which won back her seat on Thursday night.

Mrs Hyde is back representing Habberley and Blakebrook following her pledge to fight to keep weekly collections, due to be abandoned by Wyre Forest District Council in favour of fortnightly pickups.

The ex-mayor, who won the Health Concern seat from John Clarke, said: "I didn't find one person who wanted this fortnightly collection. We all want people to recycle but you cannot force them to do so by taking away the collection service.

"There will be rubbish overflowing from the bins - it is appalling."

Mrs Hyde, back as councillor for the ward after losing to Mr Clarke last year, said a Health Concern-led authority was still a better choice than one headed by the Tories, who gained two seats on May 1.