Campaigners have hit out at the closure of two “well-used” recycling centres in Marlow.

The centres, in Liston Road and Court Garden, Pound Lane, closed yesterday (Monday), with Wycombe District Council claiming they were being used more for trade waste than domestic rubbish.

The Marlow Society slammed the move, saying it could encourage fly-tipping in the area.

Geoff Wood, part of the society’s executive committee, said: “It’s got to go somewhere.

“[The closure] sends out the wrong message to residents about the council’s commitment to recycling.

“I used the centres regularly and I didn’t see any trade people using it for commercial waste.

“I was there a couple of times a week and the bins were always filling up and [the centres] were well-used.”

Mr Wood said the closures would make it harder for people like him who found it difficult to lift heavy boxes because of his back problems.

He added: “I am quite elderly and my back is not good. I don’t like lifting the black box so I go to the centre a few times a week to do my recycling.”

Cllr Julia Adey, Wycombe District Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “As a result of more people using the convenient recycling service on their doorsteps, in addition to the facilities at the household waste and recycling centres, we reviewed the use of the local recycling centres across the Wycombe district.

“We found that while the centres are being used, disappointingly some of them had more trade waste in than domestic waste – trade waste should be recycled with a commercial provider and not at these small, local centres.

“As a result of the review, we decided to close some, including the one at Court Gardens.”

The recycling centre at Riley Road will remain open, WDC confirmed.