A parish council is facing a huge increase to the amount it has to pay for having its dog bins emptied by South Norfolk Council.

Jacky Sutton, Hethersett Parish Council chairman, said the parish had a budget of about £800 for its dog bins in 2016/17, but the charge paid to South Norfolk will rise to about £5,000 for 2017/18.

The hike is due not only to South Norfolk raising the amount it charges to empty each bin from £65 to £100 per year, but also because the council will now charge for all the bins it empties.

The council has previously only charged 333 of the 594 bins it empties twice a week, and not for the rest, as they had been installed before 2002.

Ms Sutton said that while she understood the financial pressures the council was under, such a hike would be too much to bear for some councils. She said: 'This is horrendous - you can't just decide to lump all these costs on the parish council without prior notice or consultation.

'We have just set our council tax precept for the year, and we don't have any more time to go back and change those figures.'

Peter Leigh, chairman of Mulbarton Parish Council, said their parish would have to pay an extra £525 a year.

He said: 'We know it's not an easy task, but it's a large increase. If they knew it was a problem why haven't they taken steps before now?'

But Joe Mooney, Wymondham mayor and district councillor, said emptying dog bins was not a statutory service and South Norfolk Council did not have to do it by law.

He said South Norfolk would still only be charging 96p per empty.

Mr Mooney said: 'There were a number of bins that were not being charged for and it is only fair that all bins across the district are treated and charged the same.

'I realise that the district council has to cover the cost of providing the service but I very much hope that by working in partnership with South Norfolk Council and the town council that we can keep this valuable service going'.