Councils in Scotland are struggling to meet their recycling targets, according to the Accounts Commission.

In its report published on Thursday, the public spending watchdog concluded that progress made by local authorities was "disappointing" and varied.

While nearly a quarter of waste was recycled in Angus, only 3.5 per cent was in the Highland area.

In the 2002-03, 2.8 million tonnes of waste was sent to landfill sites by councils, the same as the previous year.

However, there was a two per cent increase in the proportion of waste recycled or composted to 9.6 per cent.

The Scottish Executive has set a target that authorities should reduce the amount going to landfill by 300,000 tonnes over the next two years.

"The latest figures are disappointing," said Accounts Commission chairman Alastair MacNish.

"Unless councils do more to make recycling easy and convenient they will not reach the target of 25 per cent of waste being recycled by 2006.

"We need to see marked improvements in waste recycling and composting levels in the next few years."

Scottish deputy environment minister Allan Wilson defended the figures, but conceded that "landfill figures are too high and recycling too low".

"That is why we announced a major investment of over £230 million to tackle this.

"The Audit Scotland figures predate this major investment which has already begun to make a major impact in local areas."

But the Scottish National Party has called on ministers to intervene.

"While it is clear that local councils are making some attempt, the fear is that they will not meet the set target by the 2006 deadline," said environment spokesman Roseanna Cunningham.

"The Scottish Executive must step in now to ensure the targets they set for local councils are met by the agreed time because if they don't, people may start to question the minister's ability to improve the environment in Scotland."

Friends of the Earth warned that the first minister's target was "hanging by a thread".

"Unless more is done to urgently speed up the promised roll-out of kerbside recycling then there is little chance of Jack McConnell meeting his pledge to recycle 25 per cent by 2006," said head of research Dr Dan Barlow.

"McConnell's target is now hanging by a thread and sadly at the current rate of increase it could be 2009 before the target is achieved."