A community has threatened to bring Cork city’s bin collection system to a halt in a row over the management of a large waste depot.

Cork’s county manager Martin Riordan has defended a controversial decision to employ a private debt collection company to recoup €1.8m owed to the county council in refuse collection charges.

TWO multi-million euro recycling centres will open in North Cork next month, although one will not be permitted to receive household waste because of a Bord Pleanála directive.

BIN wars are set to break out as a local authority and the private sector mount aggressive marketing campaigns to gain more customers.