Suffolk County Council has announced it will be closing all of its recycling centres in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

All of the centres across the county will close from Monday, March 23, until further notice.

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The council has requested all “bulky” waste, such as furniture and wood should be held on to until sites reopen.

It has also reminded residents not to put electrical items in any of their bins at home and to use grass cuttings and hedge trimmings to make compost.

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A spokeswoman for Suffolk County Council said: “The safety of customers and staff is very important, therefore in accordance with current government Coronavirus guidelines of avoiding non-essential contact and preventing a risk of infection to others, the sites will close.

“It is essential that we do all we can to slow down the spread of the virus.

“Please do not leave any waste outside the recycling centres or any other public place – staff should concentrate on delivering waste services, and leaving waste outside the centres or anywhere else is classed as fly tipping and is a criminal offence for which people will be prosecuted.”

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The spokeswoman added FCC Envrionment staff, who operate the centres on behalf of the council, may be redeployed to assist other essential services across Suffolk as the crisis continues.