Northamptonshire's rubbish tips reopen today .. but please don't all rush at once!

Police have admitted they fear a rush to Northamptonshire's rubbish tips when they start to reopen on today (Monday May 18).

Six of the county's nine household waste recycling centres will be unlocked after eight weeks closed during the Covid-19 lockdown.

But numbers will be strictly limited to maintain social distancing and the County Council have drafted in traffic wardens to manage queues of tippers waiting to get in.

Police will also be patrolling areas around the six tips at Ecton Lane, Brixworth, Corby, Wellingborough, Daventry and Towcester.

A spokesman for the Northamptonshire force said: "Please only travel to a centre if it is absolutely necessary and if waste cannot be stored safely at home.

"Please check our social media messages before travelling as long delays are expected."

Three more tips at Sixfields, Kettering and Rushden will be opening later in the week.

County councillor Jason Smithers, cabinet member for highways and place, has said those not taking essential rubbish to the tips risk being turned away.

He said: ""If you've done a DIY project and you've got a sink sitting out in the garden, that's not going to cause any health issues. So just leave that until the lockdown restrictions come further down the Government scale.

"If it does get really busy and starts posing a safety risk to other highway users, then we will close the centres down for an hour or two hours to clear the backlog.

"Only one person will be allowed out of vehicles and the guys there will not be able to physically help by carrying rubbish as they would normally do."

Northants' nine HWRCs will be open from 10am–6pm on their usual opening days as follows:

Monday: Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Ecton, Towcester, Wellingborough.

Tuesday: Corby, Daventry, Sixfields, Wellingborough.

Wednesday: Kettering, Rushden, Sixfields.

Thursday: Brixworth, Ecton, Kettering, Rushden, Towcester.

Friday: Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Ecton, Kettering, Rushden, Sixfields, Towcester, Wellingborough.

Saturday & Sunday: Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Ecton, Kettering, Rushden, Sixfields, Towcester, Wellingborough.