RESIDENTS stormed out in protest at the way they say they were treated by councillors over the Kerbside Recycling Scheme amid chaotic scenes at Wyvern House on Thursday night.

Residents from Knight's Grange in Winsford presented a 305-name petition to Vale Royal Borough Council ahead of a debate at Wyvern House about the switch to a fortnightly waste collection system.

But the discussion was closed after councillors passed a motion heaping praise on the scheme and the way it has been operated, and the residents stormed out in fury.

An earlier motion, lodged by the opposition Labour group and calling for changes to be made to the collection system, had been changed to one highlighting the council's 'marked improvement in performance on recycling' before councillors had the opportunity to vote on it.

Residents sat through the early part of the meeting then stormed out, shouting comments such as 'disgrace' and 'we are not paying our Council Tax' - and claiming the council simply wasn't listening to their complaints.

Outside the council chamber the residents told the Chronicle exactly what they thought of the waste collection policy - and of the way they were treated.

Freda Harris, of Alundale Road, Winsford, organised the petition and said: 'What a waste of time, what was the point?

'We are furious about the decision. How can the council say there is little opposition to it when I can get a petition going with 305 names on it, just from the Knight's Grange area?

'It just shows how much opposition there must be across the rest of Vale Royal. I know a woman from Leftwich has handed in a petition with 600 names on it and a woman from Tarporley got 400 names.

'I have heard some real horror stories about this.'

Karen Dean, of Handley Hill, Winsford, said: 'The council didn't want to listen. Those are the people we vote for and they should do what we want - or they may find themselves voted out.'

Frank Clarke, of Grange Lane, Winsford, said: 'No one is against recycling, but we want our rubbish collected every week.

'It is a health issue - we don't want smelly bins and we want the council to listen to us.'

Earlier the council chamber had been in uproar as a space on the agenda earmarked for a public question-and-answer session was allowed to pass by without any member of the public taking the opportunity to speak.

Only after the residents' angry chatter threatened to disrupt the meeting could they have their say.

Mayor Anne Hooker ordered silence, but Mrs Dean said: 'No, I won't be quiet. We have turned up in good faith. If you won't listen to us, how can you represent us?

'We have come here waiting to speak. How can you get an idea of how upset people are if you won't listen to us?'

After Mrs Dean's impassioned plea, councillors agreed to give the public another chance to have their say, and Mrs Dean told the council she believed the fortnightly collection policy presented a health risk.

She said: 'No one has asked people what they wanted. Why not send out a simple questionnaire to every household?

'We don't all have the time to come to meetings like this. You assume that because people are not here they are not bothered - but I don't think you can speak to a single person in Vale Royal who has not got a complaint.'