Television presenter John Craven will return to Bicester to launch the second phase of a recycling scheme.

Mr Craven, who lives at Adderbury, near Banbury, and presents the BBC's Country File programme, visited Bicester last summer at the start of the campaign to increase the amount of household waste recycled in Cherwell.

He will be at the Cherwell recycling roadshow in the car park of Tesco in Pingle Drive, Bicester, on Wednesday from 10am. Council officials will be on hand to answer questions until 3pm.

Cherwell's latest figures show that the amount of waste taken to landfill from homes involved in the wheelie bin scheme has fallen by more than 40 per cent.

More than 1,600 tonnes of garden waste has been collected in brown bins and sent for composting, and about 160 tonnes of paper, cans and plastic is being sent for recycling every week.

The council has also received more than 20,000 requests from householders for extra blue recycling boxes or bins.

The second phase of the scheme will involve the final distribution of brown wheelie bins to households in Bicester, Banbury and some surrounding villages. A roadshow will be held in the car park of the village hall at Lower Heyford, near Bicester, on Tuesday, March 2. Another roadshow will be held in the car park at the Bradley Arcade, Bretch Hill, Banbury, on Wednesday, March 10.

Mr Craven said: "It is vital for our environment that we dramatically reduce the amount of rubbish we are dumping in landfill sites. The figures from Cherwell are very encouraging. They show that a lot of people are making the effort to recycle."

Norman Bolster, Cherwell's executive member for the environment and Bicester town mayor, said: "Thanks to the efforts of Cherwell residents so far, the first phases of the scheme were a huge success. There have been big increases in the amount of paper, cans and plastic that is being recycled and reused, and in the amount of garden waste we are sending for composting.

"I would urge residents in homes on the final phase of the scheme to play an enthusiastic part in it and help continue the great work that is being done to protect and improve our environment."