A RECYCLING champ says daft rules are blocking her energy-saving efforts - despite a campaign to get more people helping the environment.

Margaret Watkins (pictured) has been separating her waste for years but says because she has no car she cannot recycle her waste at the Salt Ayre centre in Lancaster.

She has been banned because SITA say people are not allowed to walk on the site.

Ms Watkins told the Citizen: "It does not make sense. We keep being encouraged to recycle and I am quite happy to do it - but I seem to be penalised for not having a car.

"I am prepared to recycle and I should be encouraged rather than having obstacles put in my way."

The 54-year-old says the new kerbside recycling has helped, but says it still does not allow for plastic and cardboard.

"I can go on the recycling site with a bike, take pets or children there but I can't walk on it. How they deem it safe for cyclists and not pedestrians is beyond me. I would use a bike but it would be too difficult to carry the materials."

A spokesman for SITA told the Citizen that Ms Watkins has not been banned from the site but that there are health and safety issues for pedestrians.

"People can walk on site only if they have a permit from Lancashire County Council. The council will highlight the dangers to them and then give them a permit -at the end of the day we are responsible for people's safety on our site."