Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott last night sent a New Year reminder to residents about the collection of used Christmas trees.

Residents in the East End of the Island - that is any home that has their garbage collected on a Tuesday and Friday every week - are to get their bare Yuletide trees picked up by garbage collectors this coming Wednesday.

And those people in the west - who have their trash picked up every Monday and Thursday - are to get their old trees taken away a week later, on Wednesday, January 16.

The service will be free and people should just place the trees outside their home, where they usually leave their trash for collection.

Mr. Scott said: "I would like to advise people to remove all the tinsel, ornaments, nails and other bits and pieces from the trees before they put them out for collection.

"And please make sure they are not in tree bags when they are left outside. They should be left, totally bare, in the same place where people leave their garbage for collection, but either this Wednesday or the next, depending on where they live."

The trees are to be recycled into mulch and used for compost.