ELEVEN thousand people have signed up to a scheme that will put a third wheelie bin on their drive.

Eastleigh Borough Council has launched a new garden waste collection service which introduces a larger bin instead of a sack collected less frequently.

So far 11,000 households have taken up the scheme, including 1,700 new customers, which offers residents the chance to opt out after a trial period of six weeks with their money back.

As part of the kerbside collection, a 240-litre bin is emptied fortnightly instead of the weekly-collected 90-litre sacks.

The council is spending £276,000 on 13,500 bins and a further £20,000 to upgrade the IT system, but hopes to recoup this in eight years.

It says it offers greater flexibility, increased value for money and will help residents save time and money.

The new scheme starts from April.