TORFAEN council has said it will no longer return to collect black bins without a valid reason.

This means bins need to be out before 7am on their collection day and where their property meets the pavement or other designated area.

Returning for missed black bins costs the council about £77,000 a year, with between 50 and 75 requests per week.

From next week, the council will no longer return to collect waste from properties whose bins were not out on time, not in the right place, had the wrong materials in it or had waste lodged in the bin.

Torfaen council, which collects more than 20,000 black bins a week, will return within 48 hours for a missed collection only if there was access issues due to roadworks, major incidents or adverse weather such as snow, a record that a bin was damaged and could not be collected, or a missed assisted collection.

Residents are otherwise being told to dispose of their general waste at the Household Waste Recycling Centre in New Inn.

Torfaen residents will now also be charged £20 for replacement black wheelie bins and housing developers charged £55 per property for all waste and recycling receptacles.