A SCHEME that provides Worcester residents with skips to dump bulky household rubbish could be extended.

Currently, there are four collection points across the city, but members of the Community Services Policy and Review Committee want this increased to10.

This would mean that every ward in the city would have somewhere to take rubbish which cannot be disposed of in dustbins.

At last night's meeting of the committee, Councillor Sue Askin told members that this would cost £10,550, which was available in the existing budget.

But she insisted this was a short-term measure, and maintained there was an urgent need to replace the skip service with a properly resourced, city-wide service which would help reduce landfill and increase recycling.

At present, Worcester recycles just nine per cent of its waste, but the city council has to find ways to increase that to meet Government targets of 16 per cent by next year and 24 per cent in two years' time.

"We need to look for increased funding to help achieve the challenging targets we have been set for recycling," she said.

"This is just a temporary measure for the rest of the financial year."

Cabinet member with responsibility for community services, Coun Derek Prodger, said he would take the recommendations to the next Cabinet meeting.

"In principle, I think this is a workable solution," he said.