THOUSANDS of tonnes of compost have been collected across the borough over the past six months as part of the council's garden waste collection scheme.

The service got off to a shaky start in April when residents complained of missed collections and a lack of green bags - but workers have been praised for their efforts in collecting more than 4,000 tonnes of leaves, grass cuttings and other organic clutter.

A council spokeswoman said the scheme, which ran until September, disposed of nearly three times as much waste as last year.

She said: "The free service helps residents dispose of their organic garden waste and has generated a positive response from residents. Thank you to everyone who has supported both this and our other recycling services."