ONE green-minded family will soon be enjoying a free autumn break.

The Britton family, of Horden, east Durham, has won a mini-cruise to Amsterdam in a competition aimed at encouraging more people in the district of Easington to recycle their household waste.

Shane Britton and his wife, Emma, and their two children, Jordan and Amie, won the break as a result of their efforts in regularly using their council-provided Kerb-it box.

The competition was part of The Big Recycle campaign, by Easington District Council, which was launched in the run-up to national recycling week in June.

During the project, residents saw a larger-than-life Kerb-it box touring the district, calling in to towns, villages and local shopping centres, to raise awareness of the kerbside recycling scheme.

Mr Britton said yesterday: "We certainly saw the giant Kerb-it box driving around and it was a great reminder to use our Kerb-it box."

Jo Lane, district of Easington council's recycling officer, said: "Recycling paper, glass and cans is dead easy. You just have to put them in your Kerb-it box and it is collected fortnightly."