A petition launched to raise "extortionate" bin collection charges with a council has received more than 2,000 signatures.

Having crossed Rutland County Council's 1,500-signature threshold, subject to "integrity checks" the petition should enable village hall representatives to air their grievances over the recently imposed fees at the next council meeting.

Rutland County Council began charging village halls for waste collections in September, after carrying out the service for free for many years.

According to Andrew Jennings, chairman of the Empingham Village Hall management committee, his hall's fees could amount to £700 per year.

"One or two of the more commercially focused halls in Rutland have signed up to the council's fee-charging service, but most haven't", Mr Jennings told the LDRS.

"Over the last two weeks our bins haven't been emptied, meaning we've had to resort to self emptying, as in, taking the rubbish from the halls and disposing of it at home.

"It's been mostly doable, but we want to find a solution to this. We want to tell the council that what they have imposed isn't going to work."

The controversial fees have split opinion even amongst Rutland County Council members, with one describing them as "unacceptable".

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Cllr Oliver Hemlsey, who holds the council portfolio for environment and transport, has maintained the fees are "fair" as they ensure all halls are treated equally.

Notwithstanding his petition passing the council's threshold, Mr Jennings said he and his fellow village hall representatives now find themselves in an "interregnum" while they await the next meeting.

They had anticipated voicing their concerns at a full council meeting in September, but following multiple cancellations, Mr Jennings now expects the matter to be discussed at the meeting on December 17.

In the meantime, the representatives will focus on spreading the word of the petition. "Our main push was to get to 2000 signatures," Mr Jennings continued, "but the more we get the more powerful it becomes."