Test Valley Borough Council will be collecting unwanted sandbags across the borough commencing next Thursday (April 3) Residents and businesses wishing to dispose of their sandbags should, where possible, place them at the front of their property on the day before the collection date. In the meantime sandbags are best left in place, say the council.

Individuals can opt to store uncontaminated sandbags for future use or dig the sand into soil if not contaminated. Empty sandbags can be disposed of in normal household waste black bins for collection.

Some 80,000 sandbags were distributed across Test Valley during the flooding. The collection will not include sandbags deployed in large quantities at strategic sites identified by the Environment Agency. These will remain in place for the time being. All sand recovered will be recycled.

The collection dates are as follows:

April 3: Romsey Bypass, Middlebridge Street, Riverside Gardens

April 4: Rivermeade, Cherville Street, Mill Lane

April 5: Budds Lane, Greatbridge Road, Fishlake Meadows estate

April 7: Sherfield English,Broughton, Awbridge, Michelmersh

April 8: King’s Somborne

April 9: Stockbridge

April 10: the Wallops

Anyone likely to to require assistance moving their sandbags should contact the council’s Customer Services team on 01264 368000 or 01794 527700 two days before their scheduled collection date.