MOVES towards fortnightly waste collections in Oxford should be halted to stop the quality of life for residents being ruined, according to The Campaign For Weekly Waste Collection.

The national organisation - which seeks to protect weekly rubbish collections and has 7,000 members - said Oxford residents would endure problems with smells, maggots and rats, especially in the summer months.

Campaign founder Doretta Cocks, who started her campaign in Chandlers Ford, near Eastleigh, in Hampshire, said: "I would urge Oxford City Council to please think again.

"Contact other councils and get their experiences. Many councils have reverted back to weekly collections because of the problems fortnightly collections cause."

Councils across Oxfordshire are investigating ways to change waste collection including the possibility of a weekly collection of food waste, alongside fortnightly collections of other waste.

The first areas to be given wheelie bins in Oxford were announced last week.

Residents living in about 14,000 homes in Carfax, Holywell, Jericho, Botley Road, Hinksey Park, Summertown, Wolvercote and parts of Marston, Headington and Quarry will lead the way in recycling within weeks.

In November, householders in those districts will receive recycling boxes and wheelie bins for non-recyclable household waste.

Those who want to opt out of having a wheelie bin will be given special sacks in which to place household waste.

City councillor Jean Fooks, executive member for a cleaner city, said: "This is another significant step in our efforts to make Oxford one of the leading recycling cities in the country."

The garden waste and cardboard recycling service will be extended across the city in the next few weeks, with heavy duty reusable bags being delivered to thousands of homes across the city.

Residents will be able to use them for green waste and cardboard, which will be collected every fortnight and turned into compost.

Once the full recycling service is under way new-style collection rounds will see crews collecting garden waste and emptying wheelie bins or sacks one week and the next, high-grade waste paper and glass from green boxes with plastics, cans, other paper and textiles from blue recycling boxes or bins.

All properties are scheduled to be participating in this arrangement by spring 2007.

But Mrs Cocks, who founded The Campaign For Weekly Waste Collection ten years ago, said people struggled with only 26 waste collections a year.

"I have heard from people who put their food waste such as chicken carcasses or fish left-overs in the freezer because they don't want them smelling out their bins. Another lady never bought meat or fish in the first week after collection so the waste wasn't hanging around.

"I support recycling, but this is forcing people to recycle and affecting their quality of life."

Oxford resident Eric Murray, 59, from Bridge Street, Osney Island, has joined the campaign to retain weekly rubbish collections in the city.

The retired customer relations manager said: "I am in favour of recycling, but I think moves to fortnightly collections are a retrograde step as it will alienate people from recycling. It seems such a dictatorial attitude from the council."

A number of councils elsewhere in the country have tried fortnightly waste collections in the past and gone back to a weekly system. They include Southampton City Council, Chelmsford Borough Council and North Lanarkshire.

But Oxford City Council spokesman Chris Lee said: "Of 362 councils in England, 155 have fortnightly collection schemes with a further 73 reportedly considering it.

"Fortnightly collections have been shown to be the best way of boosting recycling rates to the levels needed to avoid large fines."