High demand from residents looking to get rid of their extra lockdown waste when tips reopen crashed a new booking system in under an hour.

Lincolnshire County Council plans to allow green waste and wood bookings only to its waste recycling centres from next Monday. It launched the online reservation system at 10am this morning.

In South Kesteven, the council has centres in Grantham and Bourne.

However, bosses were forced to apologise on social media for "technical difficulties" just half-an-hour after it launched.

"We're really sorry about this and we're doing all we can to fix it. Please bear with us," said a spokesman.

Staff managed to make the form accessible, but warned that the website may be slow.

An authority spokesman said extra capacity had been put in to try to avoid the situation, but that demand had been "significant, to put it mildly".

Council leader Martin Hill last week urged people not to worry about slots filing up quickly, adding that more slots would be available.

He added the council would be looking to take other kinds of waste over the next few weeks.

Those visiting the sites will need to bring identification and proof of residence in the county and will be asked to take their own garden waste and wood from their cars to the skips.

Pick-up trucks or vans will not be allowed at the sites.

To book visit the county council website or call 01522 782070.