The leader of Harrow Council has questioned the opposition’s pledge to reduce the cost of garden waste collection if elected.

Cllr Sachin Shah quickly dismissed the promise and called on the borough’s Conservatives to “fess up” over where the extra funding would come from.

They have vowed to charge just £40 for a year’s worth of collections if they are successful in May’s local elections. Currently, residents must pay an annual fee of £75, or £40 for six months.

Cllr Shah said: “The Harrow Labour party will always prioritise looking after the most vulnerable people in Harrow.

“With Tory cuts to Harrow Council of 97 per cent, the real question is how will the Harrow Conservatives pay for this promise?

“Which libraries will close or whose parents will not get the care they need?

“It’s time for the Tories to fess up. How are they going to pay for this? What is clear, it’s only Labour that can be trusted to keep Harrow taxpayers’ money safe.”

Harrow Conservatives pointed out that the cost of Harrow’s garden waste collection is higher than in most neighbouring boroughs – in Brent it costs as little as £50, while Barnet and Hillingdon offer a free service.

“Complaints about bins have nearly doubled since Labour took power [in 2014]. Residents are paying more for worse services,” they said.