New Labour's Britain: Bin Crime

A householder has been left with a £225 bill and a criminal conviction after over-filling his bin.

Gareth Wilson-Corkhill, of Whitehaven, Cumbria, was initially given a written warning by officers from Copeland borough council. But when he re-offended six months later, they fined him £110.

When Mr Wilson-Corkhill refused to pay, he was taken to court where magistrates found him guilty of failing to comply with the Environmental Protection Act. They ordered him to pay a £15 surcharge and £100 prosecution costs.

The 26-year-old claims that the bin was overfilled by four inches, although the council says it was "more like six". The father of three said: "I'm more annoyed now that I know I've got a criminal conviction. I might go for a job interview and be better than someone else, but the employer will see that I'm officially a criminal.

"If I'd just gone and thrown all the rubbish over a field I'd have got an £80 fine. It's laughable." He added: "We recycle everything we can, including plastics, cardboard, tins, glass and paper."

A spokesman for Copeland council said Mr Wilson-Corkhill had been issued with an extra-large bin. "What we have to get across to people is that central government is asking us to reach strict targets on recycling. If we don't achieve them, we will be heavily fined."

One in three councils refuse to empty bins unless the lid is fully closed.

Read the rest here: here

Now I am of an age when I can remember bin men/waste operatives or whatever the job title is these days, picking up the old metal bin - none of your fancy plastic then - and they did it once a week as well, rather than once a sodding fortnight.

Again this has sod all to do with bins/rubbish/the environment or even rules from central government. It is however all about slapping down anyone who dare to fight the council rules, landing them with a fine and a record to boot.

The nazi's on the council even defend their actions here.

Remember you now exist to follow council dictates and to pay willingly for all expenses paid trips by councilors/council staff to various parts of the world, not to dictate what your council/parish council what they may or may not do.

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