HUNDREDS of people are receiving help with their rubbish collection, after the introduction of new scheme by Darlington Borough Council.

The new system requires householders to leave rubbish in black bags on the kerbside for collection.

The changes angered some elderly and disabled people who argued they could not easily move their rubbish and were not happy about being assessed by council officers to see if they needed help.

Residents were told they could apply for assistance and, after an assessment, would be offered help to get their rubbish taken away. Yesterday, it was revealed that 650 application forms had been sent out and 554 had resulted in people receiving help.

A council spokeswoman said: "As time has gone by people have got more used to the new system and seem happier with it. The number of complaints has declined steadily, and last week less than one per cent of those who have their rubbish collected contacted us to ask about the new system.

"We have put notices on our vehicles to remind people about the changes and they can still ring to get help."