The current fortnightly bin collection scheme in Norwich has been given the thumbs-up by Evening News readers.

Councils across England have been warned by Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles that they could lose funding if they don't go back to weekly bin collections.

But some councils have hit back to say that residents are happy with fortnightly collections, so why change it.

In Norwich recycling and household waste bins are taken on alternate weeks, and an Evening News poll conducted yesterday suggests that's what people want.

One reader commented on our website: 'I think the present system is working well. Many of us need much smaller bins, giving us a bit more room in the gardens. I, for one, cannot generate enough rubbish to fill the big ones in a month.'

Another reader added: 'A weekly collection of everything will discourage recycling. The only rubbish which needs collecting weekly for hygiene reasons is food waste and that is collected weekly from the little food bins.'

And another said: 'I can't fill mine even on this fortnightly system. Why waste time and money changing what is currently working?'

Across the country only five councils have taken advantage of the �250m government scheme to bring back full weekly bin collections.

The Local Government Association represents 423 local authorities in England and Wales, and Mike Jones, chairman of the associations' environment board, said: 'Local authorities collect bins from 22m homes and more than four in five people say they are satisfied with the way their council gets the job done.'

A spokesman for Norwich City Council said: 'Our current alternate weekly collection and weekly food waste collection is very successful and in fact we have vastly increased Norwich's recycling rate since we introduced this approach.'

Fortnightly bin collections are also running in Broadland, South Norfolk and Great Yarmouth. But Yarmouth was this week awarded more than �600,000 by the government to support weekly bin collections for 7,000 homes in the area.

What do you think? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE or email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk