STAR readers have reacted to the news that St Helens Council is to issue a charge on all bulky waste items.

At Wednesday's cabinet meeting councillors agreed to bring in a charge on all waste which does not fit into the regular wheelie bin. Government cuts cited as a reason behind the changes, with council leader Barrie Grunewald calling the introduction "a sign of the times".

There will be a £15 fee per appointment for a maximum of three items, with additional items to be charged at an extra £5 each.

And £10 will be charged for white goods and electrical collections, including fridges, ovens and televisions.

Some readers expressed concerns over the possibility of fly tipping due to the introduction of the charges, voicing opinions on the Star's facebook page.

One wrote: "Government cuts are a convenient excuse for the council to raise revenue by hurting the public. I have no idea what the safeguards are but unless they have a council officer on every bit of spare land fly tipping is going to go through the roof."

Kirsty Kelly added: "I wonder how the price will compare to people on Facebook who advertise to remove rubbish? So can we have a break down of what our council tax is actually being used for?"

Another said: "Not unexpected, nearly every other council has charged for this service for years."

Meanwhile, Helen Hill wrote: "The council has lost tens of millions in funding thanks to the Tories. Something, somewhere has got to give and I'd rather it be charging to take away bulky rubbish than them sell of and privatise a public service like a library or a school or a park, wouldn't you?"