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Collections of bulky waste such as old fridges and sofas have fallen by 88% since a council introduced fees for their uplift.

From last April, Highland Council ended the free service and charged between £15 and £32 to collect the rubbish.

Since the introduction of charges, the authority has made 5,650 collections compared to 48,751 in 2008/09.

Council staff said fly tipping had not increased but recycling centres had been busier.

Charities have also been offering to collect unwanted household appliances and either repairing them or reusing parts.