BURY has lost its last-ditch appeal over a multi-million pound bins contract.

The council has been refused leave to take its battle to the House of Lords.

But town hall bosses say they will carry on the fight to keep the lucrative refuse collection contract for its in-house team.

They say that the five-year deal saves Bury taxpayers £1 million a year and are now considering taking up the issue in Europe.

It's the third time the council has been defeated in its bid to overturn a ruling made by the former Tory Government that it acted unfairly towards private competitors in awarding the contract to its own team in 1994 and 1995.

Council chief executive, Mr Dennis Taylor, said Bury would decide its tactics after hearing the reasons for the refusal.

But he forecast that the local authority would not give up the fight.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.