A government backed report suggests local authorities should be given the power to introduce "pay-as-you-throw" schemes.

Oxfordshire County Council chiefs say the scheme would see most taxpayers paying less as those producing large amounts of rubbish took on a greater financial burden.

Adam Symons, the council's head of waste management, said: "Everyone knows that if you charge for rubbish people recycle more and throw away less but, although we are under pressure to recycle more, we cannot act in this way.

We have to consider everything that could help to reduce the amount of rubbish that is created in Oxfordshire County councillor Anne Purse

"It might happen and then we would expect individuals to pay for their rubbish rather than the general taxpayer.

"I know some householders who are upset that they pay the same as other people even though they recycle all their rubbish."

The report by the UK Advisory Committee for Business and the Environment (ACBE) comes after councils were warned that they must cut back on landfilling or face fines.

Residents in Oxfordshire currently throw away 300,00 tonnes of rubbish every year.

The county council says the cost of dealing with rubbish is about �80 per household per year.

County councillor Anne Purse said: "We have to consider everything that could help to reduce the amount of rubbish that is created in Oxfordshire.

"I hope people agree with that sentiment."