THREE green-minded residents have been rewarded for recycling their household waste with a £50 cash prize.

Elizabteh Ord, from Murton, and Nancy Frater and Margaret Moore, from Seaham, are the first to cash in on a recycling incentive scheme that has been launched this month by Easington District Council.

From this month, the council will randomly select three names from the electoral register.

If those households have their Kerb-it box out on their collection day, they will be rewarded with £50 prize money.

George Patterson, executive member for the environment on Easington council said: "Kerb-it, the kerbside collection scheme, was introduced in the district in April last year.

"The uptake of the scheme has been disappointing and we are introducing incentives to encourage residents to recycle more.''

He added: "We failed to hit the Government's recycling targets last year and the targets are even tougher next year. If we do not get more residents to recycle we may be forced to use enforcement powers which we are trying to avoid.''

Councillor Patterson said he hoped the chance of winning £50 would be an added incentive to use the kerb-it service.