Householders in parts of Helston will no longer have to worry about sorting out their plastics before recycling day as a new trial scheme is planned for the town.

Cornwall Council has announced it will be piloting its mixed plastic recycling programme in parts of Helston and Porthleven, in an attempt to make bin days easier and prevent the confusion which leads to recyclable waste going to landfill.

At a meeting of Helston Town Council on Thursday, Cornwall Councillor Judith Haycock said: "It's a good example to show we want to recycle more.

"By including mixed plastics it might encourage people who don't recycle anything because they get confused."

She told councillors that the collections would only cover half the town as Cornwall Council "want to see what difference it makes."

She said: "Letters will be going out at the end of September or beginning of October to residents included in the trial. If they don't get a letter, it's unlikely they will be included."

Councillor Mike Thomas asked whether the the trial meant households would now be able to recycle plastic lids from bottles, and was told that that would be the case.

Another councillor asked if residents would be able to use recycling bins belonging to people in the trial, and Councillor Haycock said with a smile that they would "have to be careful, they might be done for fly-tipping."

Councillor Haycock also suggested that with less waste going into black bags in the town centre, there would be less for the seagulls to fling around the streets.

She also said if the trial is successful, Cornwall Council hopes to roll the programme out across the county after six months.

A Cornwall Council spokesperson said the trial would begin at the end of November and enable around 46,000 households across Cornwall to recycle pots, tubs and trays, with inclusion based on recycling collection routes.

They added: "Please bear in mind that the trial has not yet begun and we cannot currently accept pots, tubs and trays as part of the fortnight kerbside collection."