SOUTHAMPTON City Council's controversial rubbish recycling scheme looks set to be rolled out across the city later this year.

That's the conclusion of Southampton's environment chiefs after a MORI poll revealed that city residents were massively in favour of the scheme.

The survey of residents already taking part in so-called "twin bin" recycling revealed a staggering 90 per cent were "strongly in favour" or "slightly in favour" of the scheme.

Eighty-eight per cent of residents told pollsters that it was "very easy" or "fairly easy" to adapt to the scheme which collects household rubbish and recyclable waste on alternate weeks.

And eighty per cent of people were "very satisfied" or "fairly satisfied" with the service.

The full results of the survey - which have been exclusively released to The Daily Echo - are due to be presented to members of the council next week.

The council's Lib Dem cabinet member for environment and transport, Councillor Jill Baston, pictured, said the results of the survey were "very encouraging".

She said: "I think people have given it a real vote of confidence. I have always had confidence that this is a very good scheme."

She urged the opposition Labour group to approve the scheme when it came to a vote at full council in September.

"I don't think it would be fair and honourable to start quarreling with the results," she said.

But Labour group leader Councillor June Bridle attacked the Lib Dems for failing to consult the public adequately in the first place.

She added that her group would meet before deciding which way to vote at a crunch meeting of full council on September 22.

She said: "Why didn't they ask these questions before they started?"

The controversial scheme was rolled out across Bassett, Swaythling and parts of Coxford after its introduction by the ruling Lib Dem group last year.

But the process ground to a halt following a storm of protest by residents who said they feared overflowing bins would become a magnet for rats and flies.

At a series of tense budget meetings in February, the ruling administration and the opposition Labour group eventually agreed to halt the roll-out process until the MORI survey was published.

All groups agreed to abide to the findings of the survey and an inquiry into the scheme which has been held by the city council's powerful environment and transport panel over the past six months.

Conservative group deputy leader on the council, Councillor Royston Smith, said the results of the survey questioned MORI's impartiality.

"I thought MORI was supposed to be independent. If the council is setting the questions, it brings that into question.

He added: "Why spend tax-payers' money on independent research when you can set them yourself?"