SWINDON Council is hoping to get a slice of a £40 million Government handout to councils across the country to help lessen the burden of the now infamous fridge mountains.

The cash will be shared among local authorities to help them deal with the challenge of the collection, storage and safe recycling of old fridges.

The money follows the £6 million made available last year, after it became clear that new European Union legislation was set to pose a major headache.

The legislation came into force in January, instructing that discarded fridges should have their insulation foam removed before they can be recycled or scrapped, to prevent the release of CFC gases into the atmosphere.

Since then, fridges have been piling up across the country in their thousands.

Only now have some fridge eating sites been set up. Some councils, including Swindon, are planning to have use of a mobile recycling plant that will tour the country.