OPPOSITION parties at Southampton Council have branded a poll by the city's environment bosses a waste of money after it was revealed they had commissioned a survey costing more than £7,000 to canvass residents' views on rubbish collection in the city.

The survey, which is being conducted by polling organisation MORI, asks a series of detailed questions about residents' views on recycling and waste collection.

The phone poll is being conducted this week and aims to quiz 1,000 city residents. It came to light when Conservative councillor and environment and transport spokesman Councillor Jeremy Moulton was rung up and grilled by one of the pollsters.

It comes just a week after the Daily Echo conducted its own telephone poll on the future of rubbish collection in the city.

The Echo's poll revealed more than 90 per cent of 1,004 residents who called the Echo hotline were against the council's once-a-fortnight waste collection scheme.

Cllr Moulton branded the survey a waste of council tax payers' money.

He said: "Instead of spending money on MORI opinion polls, fancy computer systems and glossy leaflets, the council would be better off paying for the continued weekly collection of rubbish.

"If the Lib Dem politicians want to know what people think they should knock on doors and ask them rather than spending thousands of pounds of public money on an opinion poll.

"If they did this they would understand that people expect improved recycling on top of their normal weekly rubbish collection."

His comments were echoed by Leader of the City Council's Labour group Councillor June Bridle.

She said: "I am absolutely staggered. I don't need a poll to tell me what residents think. The people of Southampton are speaking very loudly indeed."

Councillor Jill Baston, Southampton City Council's Lib Dem Cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "We have used one of the world's largest and most respected polling organisations to undertake a survey at this stage. This is to ensure that we have more detailed information of residents' opinions and concerns about the new system and to ensure residents are getting the information they need to understand the recycling schemes."

There are just six days to go before the city council holds its crunch debate on waste collection.

The Daily Echo is urging readers to sign its petition which appears in the paper to try to force the council to change its mind.