VISITORS to Swanage's recycling centre can take away abandoned items once more, as well as dump their unwanted goods.

Many people were disappointed when the popular sales area at the Panorama Road site was withdrawn last year.

They had been able to pick up free or cheap items from among the piles of unwanted goods left at the centre, many still in good working condition.

Now, operating contractor W&S Recycling is set to reinstate the service on a trial basis from early next month.

Swanage town councillor Mike Hadley, who pressed for the sales facility to be reinstated, is delighted.

He said: "I thought it was a big mistake to withdraw this very popular service. It's verging on the criminal to throw things away when there is still use left in them.

"It also flies in the face of the environmental messages we keep hearing from Purbeck District Council and Dorset County Council.

"One of the fundamental principles of recycling is for people to reuse what others don't want.

"There are also the social as well as the environmental implications to consider. Many people were unhappy that the opportunity to acquire items at very low cost had been taken away."

He had discussions with Dorset County Council, which owns the site, about taking steps to reinstate the service.

He paid tribute to the council for persuading their contractors to allow visitors to take items away again, beginning on Friday April 6.

"All credit to county council for taking action on this," he said.