An emergency debate is being held tonight over the decision to scrap weekly bin collections.

The council have decided to introduce fortnightly waste collection with a weekly food waste collection.

But the Labour opposition have forced an emergency debate on the subject, claiming “outrage and anger” from residents across the borough.

Councillor Paul Smith, Labour’s spokesman for the environment, said: “We are urging Councillor Thomas to reconsider these proposals.

“There has been no consultation about these highly controversial plans, which may well have a detrimental affect on residents living in flats or where they have limited storage for waste.

“We could even see an increase in fly-tipping.

“Nationally, the Conservatives have ripped up their manifesto, whilst locally Coun Thomas has made a dramatic U-turn by introducing these proposals without any consultation with Croydon residents, despite campaigning against his own proposals prior to the election.”

Coun Thomas said: “We believe with a weekly food waste collection we can get the recycling rate up from about 34 per cent to about 46 per cent.

“We pay £100 per ton of rubbish in transport costs and landfill taxes.

“So this is good for the environment and for tax payers.

The debate takes place at Croydon Town Hall tonight at 10pm after the main council meeting.