Extra cash is being pumped into a kerbside recycling scheme in a bid to reach more people.

Hambleton District councillors agreed to plough another £140,000 a year into the service which will pay for another recycling vehicle and more man power.

The fleet currently collects glass, paper, cans and plastics from 88 per cent of the district's homes. A fifth collection round will be created to ease the load on the existing four crews and also increase the number of homes visited to almost 94 per cent.

The district council introduced the kerbside scheme of blue boxes and bags in November last year.

Crews have been working to capacity ever since and extra help has had to be drafted in with street sweepers and managers also working on the rounds to ensure every box is picked up once a fortnight.

"A massive 94 per cent of all the households currently on the scheme - some 88 per cent of Hambleton's homes are taking part, putting out their boxes and bags every fortnight," said Cabinet member for waste management, Coun Bob Baker.

"We are not resourced for this level of take-up and as a result collections were often late when the scheme was first set up.

"Now, with extra staff deployed, we are collecting on the scheduled days.

The council approved a budget increase of £139,170 a year to bring in a new kerbside vehicle and an extra three members of staff.

The number of rounds will be increased from four to five, giving the new system about six months to bed in before another 2,000 Hambleton district homes are added to the collection lists.