BURNLEY Council could be fined if it does not meet new recycling targets for services due to start next month.

Today the top councillor responsible for waste collection and recycling called on residents to do their bit to ensure this did not happen.

Coun Denis Otter encouraged people to make the new recycling service a winner after revealing similar schemes to Burnley's had been hugely successful.

He said: "Many local authorities have introduced recycling schemes similar to the one in our borough and have seen their recycling rates go through the roof.

There's every reason to believe that, with people's support, we can make it work."

Fortnightly rubbish collections are to start in April as part of a shake-up of waste collection services.

The borough's rubbish bins will be emptied every second week and, in between, the council will reintroduce kerbside collections of recyclable materials.

These were ended last year following a mix-up between the council and contractors Biffa.

The government has set Burnley a target of recycling 18per cent of household waste by the end of 2006.

Under the previous scheme the amount of rubbish recycled peaked at 15per cent in 2003.

If the council fail to meet this it would affect the authority's 'good' rating under the Audit Commissions review of local authorities and the services they provide.

A review of its rubbish collections would have to be held and, as a last resort, Burnley Council could be fined.

In readiness for the re-launch thousands of blue boxes are being sent to homes. These will be used to collect all glass, aluminium and steel cans, and plastic bottles.

Homes will also receive a white sack to collect waste paper, and a brown wheelie bin for garden rubbish.

All recyclable material will be collected from the front of homes because the vehicles will not fit down many back alleys.

According to the council there are about 80 local authorities who have a similar scheme to Burnley, including Rossendale and Hyndburn.

In Fylde recycling rates rose from seven per cent to 30per cent in 18 months.

Coun Otter said the 18per cent figure was likely to rise.