COUNCIL leisure centres will shut and refuse collections stop over the festive season.

Goshen, Philips and Coney Green sports centres will be closed from December 22 to January 1 inclusive. However, Bury's Castle leisure centre will be open every day except Christmas, Boxing and New Year's Day.

Radcliffe and Ramsbottom pools will be closed on the three main holidays plus Christmas Eve. Refurbishment work will also close the Ramsbottom site from January 2 to 4 and Radcliffe from January 7 to 13.

The bins will not be emptied next week. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday collections will be postponed until the following week, while Tuesday's collections will take place on Saturday, December 29 and Tuesday, January 8.

The kerbside paper collections will not operate on Christmas, Boxing or New Year's Days.

The civic amenity sites in Bury, Radcliffe and Prestwich will be open every day over the festive period between 8am and 6pm, with the exception of Christmas Day.

Christmas trees can be taken to the sites for recycling and for each left between December 26 and January 20, there will be a donation to charity from the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.