A COUNCIL is reminding residents to sign up if they want to have their garden waste taken away for £20 a year, a service that was free until this spring.

Residents can join the Durham County Council green waste collection scheme at any time of the year but the sooner they subscribe, the sooner to collections will start.

For an annual fee of £20 householders will have fortnightly garden waste collections until autumn, a three year subscription costs £50.

Those signing up will get a garden waste bin, if they don’t already have one, and a bin sticker to show they are a part of the scheme which the authority describes as convenient and environmentally friendly as the waste can be composted and reused.

For details visit the website durham.gov.uk/gardenwaste or call 03000-261000.

In Teesdale, environmental group Rotters will run collections in partnership with Durham County Council for the same fee in 2015, visit rotters.org or call 01833-690022 for details.