Councils should spend more money on rubbish collection and recycling, according to the results of a new poll.

The survey, published by Unison, shows 39% of people said these services would be their number one choice if the Government gave their local authority more resources.

This was followed by pavements (32%), homecare (30%), parks (28%) and public toilets (26%).

The survey, published to mark the union’s first Local Service Champions Day, also reveals public awareness about council services is mixed. More than seven out of ten people did not know council staff deal with noise complaints, with 69% not knowing they deal with refuse collection.

Jon Richards, head of local government at Unison, said: ‘From refuse collection to providing support for loved ones, public service workers keep communities running.

‘They go above and beyond to deliver for the public. This is despite cutbacks meaning they’re working in challenging circumstances with fewer colleagues than before.’