LAST-minute talks have headed off the threat of people in in parts of Hyndburn facing a three-week wait to have their bins emptied.

Councillors and officers at Hyndburn Council could not agree on payments for an extra shift that would cover the lost Christmas Day and New Year's Day collections, which both fall on a Thursday.

The council is trying to stem a potential £1.8million overspend this year and providing another council-run collection means incurring extra payments.

But council leader Peter Britcliffe convened emergency talks and the council has decided to put on an extra collection on Saturday, January 3.

People in the Milnshaw, Peel and Baxenden wards are among those whose black bin bags are normally collected on Thursday.

They had their pre-Christmas collection last week, but would have missed out on the next two collections as Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on Thursday.

That would have meant a gap of 21 days, at the busiest time of the year for rubbish.

Councillor Britcliffe said: "They couldn't reach agreement regarding the money and reached a deadlock on Friday.

"I pointed out this was not acceptable and I asked for further talks with the union, the operatives and management.

"There was no way we wanted people to have to wait three weeks to have their bins emptied."

Steve Todd, head of environmental health, said: "It's a double whammy that Thursday falls on two holidays so they were going to miss two collections."