Refuse collections were made fortnightly in June, with families encouraged to recycle household waste.

Some 100 people with placards protested outside a Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council meeting on Tuesday night, with another 50 in the public gallery.

But only 12 members were in favour of changing back to weekly collections, with 17 backing the new-style service.

'Inadequate service'

And the decision has prompted campaigner Janet Oxford to give up the fight.

I believe we have been treated terribly by the council. Janet Oxford

She recycles some of her rubbish but said a fortnightly collection was not enough for a family of four like hers, and predicts rubbish will pile up in the street.

She said: "The people now have an inadequate refuse service.

"I feel I have taken the campaign as far as I can.

"I have done my share and I will sit back and watch with interest.

"I believe we have been treated terribly by the council. We have no choice but to accept it."

Larger bins are available for homes with more than five people.

The council will start plastic and cardboard collections on top of the current newspaper recycling service.

The government has told all councils to increase the amount of household waste being recycled.

It wants to see a decline in the amount of rubbish going to landfill sites.

'26% tax rise'

The council swapped the existing 140-litre bins, used for the former weekly collections, with a 240-litre bin for the new fortnightly timetable.

There are new extra recycling boxes and bags for paper, cans and clothes with cardboard collections starting in a few weeks.

A council spokesman said: "If we were to change back to weekly collections there would be an immediate cost of �669,000, equivalent to a 26 per cent rise in the council tax."

Liberal Democrats supported a change back to the old arrangements, that have been introduced gradually this year. But the ruling Tory group defeated the motion that went before the full council.