If you are one of the millions who had hoped to see a return to weekly rubbish collections then no doubt you will be disappointed by the latest Government U-turn.

However, it should come as no great surprise as in many parts of the UK offering a weekly bin collection would see many local authorities fined as a consequence of the EU Landfill Directive. This piece of legislation financially punishes local councils if they generate too much landfill.

Weekly collections would mean more landfill, which would result in more fines at a time when local councils have had their budgets cut.

Yet again we see how a Brussels-created policy affects millions of people in the UK who simply wanted their bins emptied on a weekly basis.

The Conservative Party has campaigned on the promise of a return to weekly rubbish collections which now will not happen in many parts of the country.

The irony of it all is that the EU Landfill Directive was written and proposed by Caroline Jackson, the former Conservative MEP for South West England, back in 1999.

Godfrey Bloom MEP UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Environment Committee in the European Parliament Main Street, Wressle, Selby.