THE Tories have accused two of their main rivals in the Ealing-Southall by-election of plotting to scrap weekly rubbish collection in Ealing and tax people to take their waste away.

They claim that Labour have paid a company called Eunomia to compile a report for the Department of Environment, Fisheries and Agriculture in favour of fortnightly collections, with Ealing one of the areas targeted for the cuts.

The report claims that fortnightly collections are 30 per cent cheaper than weekly collections and follows Gordon Brown allowing these cuts to be classed as a productivity improvement' for local councils.

It also suggests giving people an annual rubbish allowance for a bin bags and charging to collect any extra refuse.

Conservative shadow minister for Local Government Eric Pickles said: "I fear working families face a double whammy of smelly rubbish piling up on their streets and even higher local taxes.

"These cuts and taxes are being cooked up in Whitehall - but Ministers are trying to shift the blame onto local councillors."

Tory candidate Tony Lit said: "Residents will be shocked to learn that the Labour Government has been secretly plotting to introduce bin taxes and axing our weekly bin collections.

"Ealing and Southall residents don't want this. Conservatives will keep Ealing and Southall's streets clean and will protect our weekly collections from Labour's rubbish cuts."

Councils were also told not to introduce the new scheme just before elections by a government QUANGO called the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP).

The same WRAP report also says action' should be taken to make sure fortnightly collections are introduced and to stop parties backing out of it with their election promises.

The Tories have also accused the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Ealing, councillor Harvey Rose, of backing the plans in a council meeting in early June.

Labour have refuted the claims and MP Joan Ryan, vice chairman of campaigns, said: "This is yet another Tory lie.

"When Labour ran Ealing council they were opposed to fortnightly collections and the only party to have proposed fortnightly collections in Ealing were the Conservatives when they took power in Ealing in 2006.

"It is a sign of the increasing desperation of the Tory campaign that they have resorted to making things up rather than answering the question that local people are asking."

They also denied that DEFRA had ever advised councils to move towards fortnightly collections.