GOVERNMENT policy means the Kennet area of Wiltshire will have to recycle a quarter of its rubbish by 2005 but local policymakers have been warned their plans to achieve that will cause more litter.

At a meeting of the south east Kennet forum in Ludgershall Kennet environment officer Rob Draper said the district had achieved an 11 per cent recycling target this year.

"An increase to 25 per cent represents an enormous jump," he said.

"We have funding for kerbside collections in Devizes and Marlborough and this will be rolled out across the rest of the district over the next four or five years. The amenity skip scheme will be closing from April of next year.

"The skip scheme is not environmentally friendly but parish councils may decide to set up their own schemes."

The district authority doesn't want to continue with the amenity skips because material goes straight to landfill.

There is also a plan for a new recycling centre in Tidworth, possibly on the old incinerator site, which would be more accessible than the existing facility at Everleigh.

But Ludgershall parish council chairman Chris Williams was concerned about the policy. "If the amenity skips are withdrawn it will cause a lot of problems and will lead to more rubbish being left around and more fly tipping," he said. "There must be a way of keeping this scheme."