A NUMBER of new ‘smart’ gull-proof litter bins are set to appear throughout the city centre.

Worcester City Council plans to buy 28 bins in total - 22 litter bins and six recycling bins - with the preferred option being to install them in two phases.

If approved by the council’s environment committee, the first 16 bins - 10 litter and six recycling - would be placed throughout the city centre between Foregate Street and Cathedral Square.

The council would then judge how successful the first phase had been before buying and installing the remaining 12 bins.

This is the council's preferred option as it allows recycling to be introduced in the city centre from the start and also allows changes to be made should any problems occur in the first six months - according to a report, set to be discussed by the council’s environment committee at a meeting next Tuesday, May 28.

A fund of up to £144,000 to purchase the bins was approved by the council’s policy and resources committee back in February and also recommended councillors in the environment committee approved buying the bins in phases to judge they were effective.

Ten ‘smart’ litter bins were trialled throughout the city centre in August and September last year.

The solar-panelled gull-proof ‘big belly’ bins were designed to prevent gulls from scavenging food from the bins and compacted litter to allow it hold eight times more rubbish and stop overflowing.

The bins also alerted council staff when it needed emptying.

The new recycling bins would be installed in addition to the recycling point in Angel Place.