Controversial communal bins could be installed throughout Brighton and Hove in a bid to keep the streets clean.

The bins sparked widespread protest when they were trialled in the city 18 months ago.

But a recent survey of 1,520 people by Brighton and Hove City Council's in-house refuse service showed 89 per cent of the 500 who replied are now in favour of the bins.

Gillian Marston, assistant director of Cityclean, admitted the bins were unattractive but said they appeared to be proving effective.

She said: "The communal bins have proved to work.

"Everyone has forgotten the hoo-ha we went through. It was a radical scheme and is only used in Edinburgh and Westminster so we had to give it a year's trial to make sure it worked.

"And you only have to look at places such as Grand Parade to see it is working."

The communal bins provoked uproar when they were installed in 24 streets in the Clifton Hill area of Brighton.

There were protests outside council meetings, with residents claiming the bins were an eyesore and took up valuable city centre parking spaces.

The black metal containers, in which people can dump their rubbish at any time rather than wait for their weekly collection, are designed to keep seagulls and rats away from rotting food which is otherwise left in black bags on people's doorsteps.

They are considered an ideal alternative to the bags which are torn open by vermin, scattering waste and litter across the city.

The Audit Commission told the council containerisation of refuse, instead of black bags, was a priority.

Black bags are also considered an anachronism by health and safety groups and they cause lifting and handling concerns.

Following vociferous campaigns against the bins, the council has seen a complete turnaround, with regular requests for their introduction. People surveyed recently by the council said the bins kept the city's streets cleaner.

Another report showed 135 people had contacted Cityclean asking for communal bins in 70 streets.

The Argus has also received letters from people who want the council to introduce the bins, particularly in the Lansdowne Road area of Hove.

The only thing preventing a major roll-out across the central area of the city is a lack of resources.

Cityclean would need to buy a vehicle. It currently hires a lorry and has one spare for when the main vehicle is being serviced or breaks down.

The council would also have to fund more bins and go through consultation processes with residents.

One area hailed as a success is Grand Parade.

A main artery into the city, the route was blighted with piles of rubbish bags on the pavement as people in flats had nowhere to keep refuse. The introduction of communal bins in July has removed most of them.

Ms Marston said: "It's a complete change to what some said at the start of the trial."