A FORMER mayor of Otley is threatening to dump his uncollected rubbish outside the city council's area office.

Councillor Nigel Francis claims Leeds City Council's attempts to introduce recycling across the town is in chaos and has left many residents unsure of their collection days and what they can recycle.

He says his green wheelie bin has only been emptied once since it was delivered two weeks before Christmas - and that was by accident.

And unless he gets satisfactory answers from the council, he says he will dump the bin outside the area office in Boroughgate, Otley.

Coun Francis, who lives at Pearsons Buildings, off Leeds Road, only received his wheelie wheeled bins late last year because his road, like many others in the town, is classed as not made up.

"We were told which weeks the collections would take place but not the day. Anyone with any sense would think that would be the same day as the normal collection day, but it wasn't.

"My normal collection day is on a Thursday. But the first time they came it was on a Sunday and the second time it was on a Monday. The first time my bin was actually emptied was because it had been left out. But we can't leave them out all week and we'd have to walk up and down to the collection point putting rubbish in it."

Coun Francis said he had so far failed to find out from the council when his collection day should be.

"If I don't get a satisfactory answer I shall take my bin and leave it outside the area office.

"I can't even take it to the tip at Ellar Ghyll because I've got a van and they won't let me in because they'll say its trade waste."

Councillor Ryk Downes (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) admitted there had been problems with recycling and added he was to hold a meeting with the council manager responsible for the area.

"I have asked for a meeting with the area manager to discuss the problems.

"In Pool-in-Wharfedale people were supposed to get stickers telling them what they could put in the bins and they've not been getting them. There is also confusion over when the collection days are and this needs to be resolved. Both black and green bins should be collected on the same days - people should not be expected to bins out for the whole week."

Coun Downes said collection days were rescheduled over the Christmas period, but added that they should now coincide with people's normal collection days.

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said: "We are aware of the confusion regarding collections and we will be meeting to address the issues and discuss possible solutions."

The city council wants to make sure 40 per cent of its rubbish is recycled by 2012 - or risk a fine from central government.

Coun Downes said in order to hit the target, the council was considering collecting green and black bins on alternate weeks.

"To increase the collection of green bins there is a cost implication. But we could collect green and black bins on alternate weeks. The bins are a closed unit and they are not at the mercy of wildlife.

"I would like to see the green bins emptied more frequently and if recycling is done properly, we do end up with more green waste than black waste."

Coun Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) said the council had also introduced garden waste bins in some parts of the city.

"If we don't hit targets Leeds will be fined along with other councils.

"We do have a long way to go and I do admit that, but Leeds is a very big area.

"I would like us to be in the situation where everything is recycled and nothing is left over, but evidence has told us that can't be the case."