Does your baby use disposable nappies? Do you have difficulty seeing outside in the dark? Is pushing a heavy object on wheels too much for you or for anyone in your family?

These intrusive questions may sound like an assessment for disability benefit, but in fact are designed by a local council to bring householders into line on having their rubbish and recycling bins collected.

The legally-binding questionnaires are due to be sent out to up to 50,000 homes in Tory-run Plymouth as part of a reorganisation of its rubbish collection services later this year.

Michael Leaves, the councillor in charge of rubbish collection, has produced the scheme to "send a clear message of zero tolerance to those individuals or businesses who continue to spoil our environment".

Plymouth City Council is also asking homeowners to nominate one person in the family to take legal responsibility for their bins. The named person faces prosecution and a possible criminal record if they fail to ensure that bins are put out at the right time, in the right place, and with the right rubbish in them.

"Please be aware that by signing this form you are accepting responsibility for ensuring that your household conforms to our requirements," the council warns in bright red block capitals at the bottom of its Wheeled Bin Information Form.

Penalty fines for failing to dispose of your rubbish correctly currently stand at £50 in the city, but are slated to rise to £100.

The council said a “tiny percentage” of householders ignored the rubbish and recycling rules.

The scheme has been greeted with anger and ridicule, particularly at Conservative Central Office. Eric Pickles, the Shadow Local Government Secretary, spared the Tory council the brunt of the blame, instead criticising the Government for forcing councils into draconian tactics on rubbish collection.

“There is a growing public backlash at the over-zealous ’Bin Bully’ policies cooked up in Whitehall for town halls to implement," said Mr Pickles.

“These latest rubbish tactics directly stem from rules passed by the Labour Government.

“People are fed up with soaring council tax, aggressive use of bin fines and cuts to weekly collections - with new bin taxes coming soon on top.

“We should be making it easy for families to go green, not extending the intrusive, nosy, heavy hand of the state.”

Matthew Elliott, of the Taxpayers Alliance, said: "Councils have taken away rubbish for more than 100 years without needing to know people's medical histories."

Christine Melsom, of the council tax protest group Is It Fair?, advised homeowners to throw the letters in the bin. "Just make sure it's the right bin," she added.

A spokeswoman for Plymouth council defended the new forms, saying that the questionnaire would be used to enable the authority to establish whether people need help, such as assisted bin collection.

A question would be about the number of adults and children in the household to see if they need an extra bin for their rubbish.

“The questionnaire would enable us to find out whether we are missing people who we may be able to help,” said the council.

“The aim is to make it better and provide clear guidelines on what you can and cannot recycle and put out.”

Plymouth's move follows the failure of an Exeter City Council prosecution, which collapsed as it was impossible to prove waste in a recycling bin had been put there by the householder.

Many residents say they will only take legal responsibility for their bins if they are fitted with locks.

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