ROSSENDALE residents have been warned about rubbish disposal after a mix-up with a recycling centre left a trader facing a £1,000 fine.

Christine Lamb, co-owner of chip shop Something Fishy in Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, received a letter from Rossendale Borough Council, threatening prosecution for fly-tipping.

The action came after she dumped unwanted cardboard boxes at what she thought was a recycling centre across the road from her business.

But council cleansing officers today revealed that the 'recycling centre' was in fact a skip used by street cleaners to dump waste, which was collected and taken to a landfill site.

Christine, 56, said she used the 'recycling centre' because she thought it was more environmentally friendly to recycle the boxes in the skip.

She said it was marked for cardboard boxes and plastic bags but nowhere was it made clear the contents were going to the dump. She added: "I would never have used it had I known the bin was going to the tip. It defeats the purpose of recycling.

"I wonder if other people in Rossendale realised this was not really a recycling skip.

"They have been using up fuel to drive to the skip to get rid of their rubbish.

"I had been using the skip but not to avoid paying trade waste charges.

"In the 20 years I have had businesses in Stacksteads I have always paid to have my trade waste removed.

"It seemed to make sense to me to put the boxes in a recycling skip just across the road, rather than add to the landfill problem.

"I wanted to be as environmentally friendly as possible. From now on I shall use my trade waste bin."

Rossendale Council is soon to launch an innovative recycling scheme involving householders separating their waste into recyclables and using two bins.

A council spokesman said Mrs Lamb's actions constituted an offence under the Environmental Protection Act, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000.