A BOROUGH is set to reopen its household waste recycling centres full time without the need to book as it recruits a new legal officer to tackle fly-tipping.

The 'tips' at George Street West in Blackburn and Springvale Road in Darwen will return to normal operation on Thursday April 1.

The booking system for the centres introduced last May in response to the coronavirus pandemic will close.

The centres will open seven days a week between 8am and 7pm.

Blackburn with Darwen Council environment boss Cllr Jim Smith also revealed that its environmental waste crime team are currently recruiting a new legal officer.

The team has handled 41 successful prosecutions and issued more than 200 fixed penalty notices this working year.

Cllr Smith said: "We’re happy to be safely opening our HWRCs back to their near normal operation, with the added hope that this will help decrease the rise in fly-tipping we have recently seen across the borough.

"Residents should be mindful of the fact that particularly during the first few days, the sites may be extremely busy and queues could form.

"We ask everyone to be considerate of this.

"Our HWRCs are conveniently open seven days a week, so there’s no need to rush back all at once!"

He said residents should not visit the centres if they were extremely vulnerable and are remaining at home for shielding purposes, symptomatic with coronavirus or in a 10-day household isolation