Ubuntu – How to empty the trash in Ubuntu 9.10

I have been deleting files on my machine for several months now. The deleted files are likely to be using up considerable space on my HD. I want to empty trash, but cant fond out how to do it.

I located a folder .user/local/trash (or similar name), and when I deleted the files in that folder, the contents got doubled because the files I selected and deleted were added again to that list. This getting beyond being simply irritating – I have looked online and unbelievably, I cant find anything that shows how to empty the trash *even on the Ubuntu site) – WHY??

BTW, I am NOT interested in recovering deleted files (at least for now). All the documentation I have come accross is just about restoring files.

ALL I WANT TO DO IS TO DELETE FILES – now, does anybody know how to do that, or am I going to pointed (yet again), to a question/link about restoring files that were accidentally deleted?