COMPLAINTS about bin bags left in back streets in York have fallen, following the introduction of a pilot scheme by refuse collection bosses.

But the improvement was temporarily halted when students returned to the city from their holidays.

Members attending a meeting of City of York Council's commercial services scrutiny board next week will be told that a trial of waste collections in terraced areas in Leeman Road and The Groves had largely been a success.

From March 2003 to June 2004, the council received 179 complaints from residents in Leeman Road and The Groves about bin bags being put out early, fly-tipping and waste that had not been collected.

Where these complaints were at their worst, council chiefs started a pilot scheme, in July 2004, where street environment officers would travel with collection crews and would visit areas on non-collection days to gather evidence.

A report from Geoff Derham, the council's general manager of waste services, said that process had "negated the need for the rapid response team to remove waste left by the collection crew and they concentrated on large fly-tipped items as well as cleaning the lanes following the visit by the refuse crew".

The result was an area that was "at an acceptable standard of cleanliness at the end of normal refuse collection days".

While the figures did rise when students returned to The Groves, a combination of "extra enforcement activity and increased waste collection activity has resulted in a reduction in the number of complaints in both areas".

The report says that where crews find excess waste, they will use their judgement to decide whether to collect it. If not, responsibility for the rubbish will be passed over to York Pride.

Mr Derham said: "A combination of factors, including enforcement where necessary, brought about an increased awareness of council policy and an appreciation by residents of environmental and visual impact.

"We will need residents to continue to work with us to ensure we can maintain these standards.

"We would like to extend particular thanks to landlords in the area for their help in engaging their tenants, particularly students, in this matter."

Updated: 10:07 Thursday, April 28, 2005