COUNCIL waste officers will this week launch a roadshow urging people to recycle the extra waste that will be produced this Christmas.

Durham County Council officials in Santa Claus outfits will tour the county give recycling tips, advise on waste problems, and hand out ice scrapers, memo boards and trolley tokens to remind shoppers not to bin all their waste.

There will also be a draw at each roadshow for pantomime tickets for a family.

Recycling messages will be projected onto the walls of supermarkets and prominent buildings after dark to encourage people to take care of how they dispose of the extra rubbish they will have in the coming weeks.

"We produce a third more rubbish at Christmas, and the majority of it can be recycled," said Councillor Alan Cox, the council's cabinet member for waste management.

"The recycle at Christmas message projected onto the outside of supermarkets will be in full view of shoppers.

"We want them to use their kerbside box for the extra cans and glass bottles over the holiday."

Recycling officers, dressed as Santa and his elves, will be at the roadshows, encouraging children to put out their recycling box and giving adults Recycle at Christmas bags for wine bottles.

The roadshow dates are: Tomorrow, 9am to 5pm, Darlington Market Place; Friday, noon to 4pm, Framwelgate Bridge, Durham; Tuesday, noon to 4pm, Peterlee Shopping Centre; next Wednesday, 8.30am to 4pm, Barnard Castle Market Place; Thursday, December 14, 3pm to 7pm, Asda, Bishop Auckland: Monday, December 18, 3pm to 7pm, Tesco, Chester-le-Street; Tuesday, December 19, 11am to 3pm, Asda, Spennymoor; Thursday, December 21, 10am to 2pm, Asda, Stanley