VILLAGERS subjected to the sound of smashing glass "morning, noon and night" are set to win their fight to have bottle banks removed.

Mellor residents say they have had to put up with the collection points less than 20 feet from their homes because of Ribble Valley Council's recycling policy.

The bottle banks caused a storm when placed on a public car park in the village at the suggestion of Mellor Parish Council, which owns the land.

Nearby residents claimed they could not tolerate the noise of smashing glass "morning, noon and night."

And they said surrounding the bottle banks with sound-proofing panels and asking villagers to use the facility only at certain times had failed to solve the problem.

Ribble Valley Council's community committee will tomorrow hear that Mellor Parish Council and the village's community association now want the collection points removed. "We support environmental protection and recycling policies, but complaints about the noise created by this particular facility have forced us to ask for its withdrawal.

"It is not only in the immediate vicinity that people can hear bottles being put into the bank," parish councillors will tell the meeting.

"When the land was originally purchased a condition was put on the deed of sale that we should not allow any nuisance on it and we now feel we have reached a point where we have to say enough is enough.

"We realise many people will be disappointed at this decision, as the facility was well-used. But we have responsibilities to neighbours and have to take this measure."

The meeting will vote on a recommendation by officers that the bottle banks be removed.

Chairman Graham Sowter said councillors were likely to "reluctantly accept" the recommendation and the council would lose about £230 a year in recycling credits as a result.

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