Harrow Council is to make recycling compulsory.

The move will come into force next month as part of the councils' bid to increase the rate of recycling to meet tough government targets.

The council has to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 75 per cent by 2020.

If it doesn't, residents face paying an extra £230 on their council tax bills.

Last year, Harrow recycled 26.7 per cent of the its waste and has to get that up to 30 per cent next year.

On July 3, Harrow will become only the fourth London borough to make the recycling of some rubbish compulsory.

All homes served by the brown bin and green box will have to recycle paper, glass bottles and jars, cans, tins and plastic bottles, which must be put in the green box.

Garden waste will havbe to be placed in the brown bin.

Residents will no longer be allowed to dispose of these items in their green bins.

The council said; "Residents who persistently and deliberately fail to recycle will receive warnings and could receive a fixed penalty notice of £75.

"As a last resort, the council may prosecute the most persistent offenders and the magistrates court can fine them up to £1,000."

From the same date, brown bins will be collected weekly and green bins fortnightly, a reverse of the current system.

The move follows complaints by many householders that brown bins left full of rotting organic waste for two weeks smell foul and attract vermin, especially in the summer.

Between the end of November and Easter, when there is less garden waste to be collected, brown bins will be collected fortnightly.

For further information, call 0845 225 2600 or e-mail waste@harrow.gov.uk.