A VOLUNTARY recycling group has urged residents to continue using its service following the announcement that the council will also be collecting paper and garden waste in the area.

Barrowford Recycling, run by Don and Susan Sunderland, heard about the changes in Pendle's recycling policy after residents received a letter advising them there will be a fortnightly collection of recyclable materials from certain properties in Barrowford.

They confirmed Barrowford Recycling would continue to collect paper and cardboard in Barrowford and Blacko on the third Saturday of the month.

Volunteers have raised £59,000 for charity since it started in April 1989 and have collected 3,467,000 tonnes of paper.

At a meeting of the full council, Coun Alan Vickerman, who is also a member of the recycling group, asked if the council would leave collections in Barrowford and Blacko to them.

He said: "Since these letters have gone out to people with gardens we have had them ringing up thinking we have disbanded.

"It has been a real community effort in Barrowford and surrounding areas, although we don't cover Carr Hall."

Coun Alan Davies said: "Whenever we have done waste paper collections in the past we have been aware of the fact that Barrowford uses it as a way of raising money for community organisations in Barrowford and we have been conscious that we don't damage that."

Leader of the council Coun Azhar Ali said council officers were working with Barrowford Recycling to come up with the best scheme for Barrowford. If at the end of the day that meant two separate schemes then so be it, he said