Protesters campaigning against the closure of a popular rubbish dump in Watford today handed in a petition to Hertfordshire County Council.

Helen Lynch, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Watford Borough Council central ward by-election on Thursday, presented 2,661 signatures fighting to secure the future of the Wiggenhall Road Household Waste Recycling Centre to Derrick Ashley, the county's executive member for waste.

Mrs Lynch said the depot, which was saved from closure in 2008, was a “valuable and well used facility” that was an “integral part of the upkeep of our homes”.

She said: “It seems very short-sighted for the county council to make the process [of visiting a household waste site] inconvenient and ineffective.

“Road traffic on routes to Garston and Rickmansworth (the locations of the nearest alternative depots) will significantly increase, especially at weekends with round trips of ten to 14 miles in what is officially the most congested part of Hertfordshire.”

Mrs Lynch said she was also concerned about the “inevitable increase of flytipping”.

“We the residents request you seriously consider the long-term repercussions of closing such a well used site,” she added.

Councillor Ashley said the proposed closure would be discussed at a meeting of the waste panel on November 16, when its members will take any petitions “into account”.