Barnet Tories have been accused of misleading the public over a pledge to maintain weekly bin collections.

The party has come under fire from the Liberal Democrats after it recently took out a full-page advert on the front page of the Barnet Times featuring an election pledge promising to "keep your weekly bin collection".

Mill Hill Lib Dem candidate Roger Tichborne suggested the Conservatives were "playing fast and loose with the truth".

He said: "They recently passed a council budget which heralds the end of the weekly bin collection.

"Their own budget, which all of their councillors voted for, states 'It may become necessary to go to alternate weekly collection if recycling rates continue to plateau and/or the savings identified are not realised'.

"The advert is a clear attempt to dupe local residents. There is no asterisk saying 'conditions may apply' or warning that they've already passed a budget proposing the opposite.

"We've already seen an end to weekly collection of green waste, resulting in dumped Christmas trees all over Mill Hill, waiting a month to be collected."

Mr Tichborne claimed the promise "will go in the bin" if the Tories get-re-elected and urged people to look at the Conservatives' "record for breaking promises" in previous elections.

"They promised no overdevelopment and we've never seen more in the history of the borough," he said.

Last week, the Lib Dem candidate drew attention to ten dirty fridges that had been left on Goodwyn Avenue amid a spike in crime and fly tipping.

But the Conservatives responded to the latest allegations by reaffirming their pledge to keep weekly bin collections.

Leader of Barnet Council Richard Cornelius said: "We have pledged to Barnet’s voters that we will keep weekly bin collections. That is exactly what we will do if they grant us another term.

"Our pledge puts clear water between this Conservative council’s policy of weekly bin collections and our neighbouring Labour-run boroughs which have moved to fortnightly collections."