HOPES are rising that plans to sell off west Wiltshire's refuse collection service will be dropped.

The district's bin men have been fighting West Wiltshire District Council's plan to put the in-house Direct Works Service out to a private firm.

Talks were held last week between the workers' union, the GMB, councillors and council officers, after the refuse collectors staged a mass demonstration with their refuse lorries, outside the council's Bradley Road offices, earlier this month.

Now the workforce hopes that the privatisation idea may be dropped by the cash-strapped council which is investigating the proposal as part of its major waste review.

GMB union regional organiser Frank Minal said: "The council has purchased two new vehicles, and has suggested that it may be looking for an external company to inject capital while the staff remain in-house on their terms and conditions.

"We are not quite clear how that would work, and it is rare to have that type of agreement, but it does show that there has been some movement on the part of the council.

"We are slighly more optimistic, and we are quite pleased that the council is reviewing the possibility of putting in an internal bid to run the service, and is looking at a salvage plan."

Council leader Angie Barker said the meeting with the workforce had been useful.

She said: "We were discussing the potential of keeping the men in-house and getting a partnership deal to help us with the capital. Meeting the men was really useful and gives us a flavour of what they are thinking.

"We recognise that they are extremely productive and do a cracking job. The hassle they have put up with has been a nightmare for them."