The action came about because the GMB and Unison unions were angry at council plans to award a recycling contract to a private firm.

Union officials claimed their own workforce was not given a fair chance to bid for the contract.

But on Tuesday night Newcastle City Council said the strike planed for Thursday, 28 November, had been called off after "productive discussions".

New service

A council spokesman said: "The public should put out their bins for collection as usual."

Council chiefs had said the recycling contract was a new service which did not affect other refuse collections.

The unions have employed consultants to look at the case for the council carrying out the job using its own workforce.