Coventry bin strikes: Date set to close waste drop sites

The strikes have seen protests by Unite members as well as picket lines

All of a council's temporary waste drop sites will close in May, despite industrial action by bin workers continuing.

An all-out strike has been staged in Coventry since 31 January by about 70 refuse lorry drivers in a pay dispute with the authority.

Recycling collections restarted in March alongside household waste.

The council plans to shut all the drop sites after reintroducing garden waste collections.

The drop sites were introduced in December to help people cope with the start of the strikes by allowing them to dispose of their rubbish at the sites.

Following the return of recycling collections from homes, the council said it would be scaling back opening times at seven sites from Saturday.

Hearsall Common, which the authority said had been one of the busiest, will remain open throughout the week.

Temporary sites have been used by Coventry City Council to allow residents to drop off their rubbish

The drop site at the War Memorial Park will close permanently on 18 April to allow preparations for large summer events including Radio 1 Big Weekend and the Godiva Festival.

The changes will mean more vehicles available to reintroduce garden waste collections from 19 April, the council said, with all drop sites then shutting on 16 May.

The action by striking bin workers has continued after Unite members voted to extend it past 23 March.

The dispute has turned increasingly bitter as both union and council have criticised each other's claims about the drivers' pay.

A private contractor wholly owned by the local authority, Tom White Waste, has been used by the council to provide collections during the industrial action.