NEWPORT Wastesavers provided the background for Paul Flynn to crack a joke at his own expense yesterday.

"This visit isn't meant to show that the politicians are rubbish," he joked. "It's just that the best ones have been recycled four times."

Mr Flynn is hoping to win the Newport West seat for the fourth successive time. The Labour candidate was visiting the recycling experts, now based on the Usk Way Industrial Estate, to see how their work is expanding. Wastesavers are preparing to extend their green box recycling scheme for the third time in the coming weeks.

Phase IV will see Allt-yr-yn, Gaer, Maesglas, Shaftesbury, Chepstow Road and Lliswerry included in the kerbside scheme. Further expansion to include all of Newport is planned for the following year.

Former-Mayor Councillor Graham Dally, cabinet member for the environment, joined Mr Flynn on his tour, which was led by project officer Paul Jones and Carole Fereday, education and training manager.

Households in Newport produce an average of 1.1 tonnes of waste a year. Wastesavers work with the council to ensure as much as possible is recycled, rather than buried in the Docks Way landfill site.

l Labour's Mo Mowlam was expected to be campaigning in Chepstow today. The former Northern Ireland minister, who helped broker the Good Friday Agreement, is expected to meet her former number two in Ulster, Paul Murphy. Full details of the visit are being closely guarded for security reasons.

Meanwhile, Welsh Liberal Democrat president Richard Livesey was due in Iswlyn today. He will be joining Kevin Etheridge campaigning in Blackwood town centre.