Thousands of people have been flocking to their local tips in the first week of a controversial permit scheme.

People will soon need to show a permit to prove they live in the district before being let into Bradford Council-run recycling centres. The permits have been available since last Monday and already more than 10,000 people have picked one up.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: “People using the Household Waste Recycling Centres to dispose of unwanted items can pick up their permit at the same time, as it only takes a few seconds to complete the paperwork and we are confident that we have the appropriate number of staff on duty to cope with demand.

“Staff will not be checking permits until June and people can still pick up their permits after that date, so there is no need for anyone to be in a hurry to get theirs.”