A VILLAGE pub has proved it has plenty of community spirit by joining the drive to encourage as much recycling as possible.

The Black Swan at Fearby, near Masham, North Yorkshire, has become home to the 100th mini recycling centre to be set up in the Harrogate district.

The pub, a family business, is also celebrating its own milestone. Run by the third generation of the McCourt family, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Sean McCourt said the family had wanted to support the recycling effort. "We realise that in remote villages like ours, the council finds it extremely difficult to find locations for these sites," he said.

"This has to be good for the local area as well as the environment."

The 42,000 households taking part in Harrogate Borough Council's kerbside collection scheme for paper, cans, bottles and aluminium, helped the council achieve its recycling target of 14 per cent last year.

From last month, the scheme was extended to 55,000 homes.

But the local cabinet member for environmental health, Les Ellington, warned that more will need to be done to reach the next government target of 21 per cent for 2005/2006.

Mini recycling centres have also just been provided at Greenhow, Thruscross and Low Burton.