"Local elections concentrate the mind: it's as obvious as that," said Coun Roy Walker, Tory group leader. "If this was next year, there's no way they would have changed it.

"Look at the influence we're having on the council, and we're in opposition! All I can say is, watch out NCP: there's another week left until the elections!"

Coun Walker said that Labour's Stella Smith, executive member for environment and transport, told him only last week that the policy could not be reversed. "I think she should consider her position, because she doesn't seem to know what she is talking about," he said.

Coun Vic D'Albert, Liberal Democrat leader, said: "It's an incredible U-turn, the biggest in Bury Council history. Only two weeks ago they were adamant that the fortnightly bin collection would stay: and now this about-turn, two weeks from the elections, leads you to wonder if you can believe anything they say."

Coun D'Albert described the move as a victory for common sense, adding: "It's not been thought through and consultation was inadequate," he said. "They need to take it back to the drawing board and re-engage the public on recycling."

Coun John Byrne, leader of Bury Council, denied that the elections prompted the change of mind.

"Coun Walker is in a state of denial, and refuses to accept that members of his group voted for the scheme. This is council policy, agreed by all three parties. If this was a pre-election stunt, we would have reinstated the grey bins two or three weeks ago, not on June 14 which is after the elections. Only someone with a twisted and contorted mind would think otherwise."

Coun Byrne added: "We always said the fortnightly collection was a trial scheme (we had three months' duration in the back of our minds) and the time has now come for evaluation."

Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, described the fortnightly collections as a mistake, and welcomed the change of mind.

"This is a common sense decision which will be welcomed by residents," he said. "The council has listened to the people and come up with a solution which will unite the community.

"Recycling is a good thing, but the decision to collect the grey bins fortnightly was a mistake. We can now have the best of both worlds: a recycling scheme which is environmentally progressive and a weekly grey bin collection which meets the practical needs of residents."