CIVIC bosses have urged residents to recycle their Christmas trees rather than leave them dumped.

Starting on Friday, community members across the Test Valley can recycle at sites including Romsey, Nursling and West Wellow, and bosses at Test Valley Borough Council, who are running the returning scheme, have issued a plea to residents to use the service.

Alma Road Car Park in Romsey, Knightwood Leisure Centre in Valley Park, B&Q in Nursling and the West Wellow Village Hall are all locations, where, for the next two weeks, residents can drop off their trees for them to be recycled in the popular scheme.

Environmental portfolio holder, cllr Graham Stallard, said: "Our Christmas tree recycling scheme is always very successful – we collected hundreds of trees last year.

"They are all composted and turned into Pro-Grow, which is an organic soil conditioner produced locally and later available online.

"We have eight sites across the Test Valley where people can take their real trees. All we ask is that decorations and non-compostable items are removed beforehand, and that people leave the trees in the designated areas."

The scheme has seen hundreds of trees over the past few years taken by TVBC to recycle, and the option runs until January 15.

Cllr Stallard also thanked the facilities who use their sites as collection points.

He added: "Residents who subscribe to our Garden Waste Collection Service can leave their trees outside their homes in the usual way.

"We are very grateful to the staff at the venues who allow us to collect from their premises and of course to our residents who contribute to recycling in the borough."