Although these fines are portrayed as draconian, rarely, if ever, are people fined without being warned about what is expected of them. For far too long people have used neighbourhoods as bottomless rubbish bins and made irresponsible use of resources that are limited and easily recyclable. Fines seem a reasonable response and if other countries aren't doing so, it is because their citizens behave more responsibly.

Hughie, Surrey, uk

Gosh! They don't seem to be able to fine people for criminal or anti-social behaviour, but they can fine them for putting out their trash too soon!

Helen, Virginia, USA

This country has become nothing more than tax everyone for everything they have got.

Council taxes at an all time high, Ealing charging approx £1900,00.

And what do you get for all the money you pay, more charges and the money goes to?

Stupid contracts like, first making a bus lane then changing it to a normal road and then changing it back to a bus lane!!!

Who is really benefiting?

James, London, uK

Clearly the best place for your rubbish until you see reform is the front door of the council office.

Scott, Boise, Idaho

I am a daily reader in the US. I will admit that the antics of many of my countrymen and our governments, local, state, and Federal are at times astonishingly stupid. I can see
how others might see our culture as out of control in almost every way. There are disadvantages to living in the Wild West. However, I don't envy the vise grip of rules, regulations, and monitoring your local and central governments adds to British citizen's lives without any sort
of let up. Your society sounds more Orwellian each day. Does it seem so to all of you on the inside?

Robert Meissner, Ft Worth, Texas US

Oscar must be turning in his trashcan

Nonplussed , London, Londinium

Magna Carta is not, and never was, law, Ben - check your history. This legislation was introduced to stop rubbish bags being a near pemanent feature of some streets. Surely everyone can manage to get their rubbish out sometime between between 6 p.m. and when the binmen come next day. Why do people have a problem with this.? I expect some of those who are so strongly against the legislation also hate to see rubbish all over the street. You can't have it both ways.

Roger Tilbury, Worthing,

Councils should also be "fined" when they fail to collect rubbish on the recognised day and also when the collector's leave spilled rubbish on the street. The only trouble with this is that the fines would be paid for with our money

stan rothwell, comgleton,

Im amazed that in Darlington and some of these areas above that they still dont have wheelie bins!
Most of these problems are solved with wheelie bins.
Most of the areas Ive lived in have had them for years and years.
Cats and foxes cant open the bins, they dont smell quite as bad, they are more useable for old people......

From a public sanitary poin of view its a bit like the victorians introducing sewers. The goverment wont legislate until someone campaigns about it.
If they solve the root problem it will be cheaper than employing rubbish wardens. Typical of politicians to massage the symptoms. Attitudes can be changed [compare attitudes to smoking between 1960 and 2007] but rubbish wardens are not the solution.
We need some politicians with inteligence. A rare breed indeed.

Audi Driver, Kelso, Roxburghshire

The issue here is that persistent offenders are being fined not people who do it as a one off. In my area the day before rubbish collection the street is covered with rubbish where cats have opened the rubbish or in some cases where people are looking for personal information.

Ben you need to check your facts on English law any law can be replaced by a later law as we do not have a constitution. (with the exception of statutes of European Law)

Darren, Swindon, UK

In response to Ben:

1 - Magna Carta says nothing about jury trial, merely trial by peers. You are imposing a 16th/17th century interpretation on a medieval document;
2 - the relevant provisions of Magna Carta were repealed in the nineteenth century;
3 - Even if the provisions have not been expressly repealed, Magna Carta only has force in law as the first statute. The powers exercised by councils are under a later statute and any rules in Magna Carta to the contrary have therefore been impliedly repealed.

If ignorant people would stop bringing up Magna Carta and other flawed arguments, the standard of debate in this country would be much higher...

JS, Cambridge,

So the bags attract rats and can smell if they have food in them eh? Well knock me over with a feather! I guess my local council, which recently switched to fortnightly instead of weekly rubbish collections will be reversing its decision, having been so brave in the face of public protest, and repeatedly reassuring us all at the time that their research indicated that in fact a two week old wheelie bin did not smell or attract rats? Honestly you don't have to be Einstein to work that one out ...

Hans, Southport, England

I'd be worried if the deadline was, say, 6am on the day of collection, because many workers have left home by then. However, 6pm the day before doesn't seem unreasonable for most people.

Carol, Derby,

If these fines are indeed illegal for the reason Ben states, what about fixed penalty notices for parking, speeding etc.? Would these not all be illegal for the same reason?

Caroline, Glasgow, UK

A recent newspaper story suggested that many local councils want to start picking up rubbish once every two weeks. That means that rats will get to the rubbish on private property - our problem - not public highways - their problem. Typical.
Suzi, Tower Hamlets aka The rat capital of Britain

suzi, london,

A wonderful illustration of why so many of us have finally given up on living in the UK. An army of jobsworths is being created to 'manage' these pettyfogging restrictions on peoples lives and in turn local residents must pay up to fund their final salary pensions. This is what is meant by essential services?

David, Kyrenia, Cyprus

I am told that generated waste is increasing year on year.

Please let’s get real. Over the past years we have brought in millions of immigrants and at the same time the indigenous population is declining.

What do the authorities / politicians expect. It is a question of maths.

Leo, Reading, England

Councils around the country should have a long hard look at themselves before attacking householders for such a tiny misdemeanor. How about the council workmen who park outside our local sandwich shop at dinner times blocking half the road and all the pavement. This selfish action forces young women with prams into the busy road that has already been cut from 2 to one lane! When I telephoned our council I was told "well they entitled to a lunch break are'nt they?" Officious nonsense.

Stephen McCann, Tyldesley, Manchester

This is rank hypocrisy, “The bags attract rats and they can start to smell if they have food in them. These are the kind of measures we have to take to deal with these problems.”

Re the quote above, where is the Council's answer to their excuse that it is OK to have collections once a fortnight?

So the bags only attract rats if they are on the street, but not if they are on the householders property. Very civilized rats.

Smacks of revenue generation, to me, save money by fortnightly collections,AND fine people for not following order!

Rob Bain, Dery, UK

So, I go on holiday and leave for the airport in the morning. Bin bags full of garbage have to lie stinking in my flat for two weeks, breeding germs and attracting vermin because I am not supposed to leave them out until after six pm on the day before collection.
Charming load of money grabbing beurocracy and more little Hitlers in second rate military style uniforms sneaking about the streets.Let's give them their just deserts and name them the 'Alleyway Rats'.

Brendan Greer, Donaghadee, Northern Ireland

The first priority for the people of this country should be to wipe out Labour in the local council elections. Grit your teeth for a couple of years and then vote New Labour out of office. Forever. Then we can start the long and painful process of rebuilding a free society where local and central Government is our servant not our master.

dave, cannock, England

I was fined 2 years ago when living in Fulham for leaving our rubbish bag outside on a "non pick-up day". Considering the large numbers of flats in my block I was intrigued how the council had discovered it was MY bag. They responded to my letter with photographic evidence of the contents of the offending bag!!! I find this quite disgusting and to be honest a bit creepy that someone is happy to sift through your rubbish to squeeze a bit more cash out of you.
There were no notices to inform residents what the pick-up day/time was and considering I lived with 3 other people, I am amazed that people are expected to store their rubbish their flat for a week. It is impractical and unhygenic. I am still trying to work out where our council tax money goes...

Jo, London, U.K.

If anyone should be fined - it should be those who foist excessive packaging - mainly supermarkets onto the buying public.

Brian Charles Seals, Scarborough, England

Im sorry but who are the councils supposed to represent and who do you think pays there wages?? Some people have to get up early to go to work to afford to pay the council tax which keeps going up and up whilst services go down and down

Chris Allison, London,

If councils did the job that they were paid (very generously) to do, these problems wouldnt arise. Rates go up, services get less yet the law is used to intimidate people into compliance. Sooner or later the injustices particularly where "judge, jury and executioner" tactics are used, will spill onto the streets in civil unrest. Then count the cost!!

mike gee, bournemouth, dorset

Can we now fine the Council for not picking up the bins on time, I think not. There was a time when the bin men, picked your bin up from your property and then returned it. When did the rule come in about putting your bin out?

sue, Ashton Under Lyne, England

I think it is a great idea to fine people who persistently put their wheelie bins our too early. One of our neighbours puts hers out on Saturday evening for a Monday morning collection and includes things like ironing boards which the bin men cannot take anyway. I emailed the council who reminded the neighbour to put the bin out on the day of collection. The people who object to fines obviously do not have other people`s rubbish cluttering up their driveway or property frontage. Waste is noxious and will get worse as the warmer weather arrives.

Beth, Liverpool, UK

i've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life - i just wouldn't pay it.

belinda, cambridge,

I leave for work 90 minutes before I am supposed to deposit my rubbish outside my house. How would the council propose to help me stay within the bounds of their self-imposed law?

Not to mention the social underclass in this country who couldn't care less if anyone fines them as they'd claim not to have the means to pay and basically get away with it.

Once again, a poorly thought out piece of totalitarianism which seeks only to separate law abiding people with their hard earned cash.

Steve Lee, Gillingham, England

The houses most of live in were built when it was just one old stell bin we had to use. Now we get up to 3 much larger bins, just where are we supposed to keep them to keep the property tidy!! As already said, with fortnightly collections there will be more smells and vermin - how about a rebate fro lack of service from the rubbish collection pepole.

Bob Lewis-Basson, Reading, UK

Another means of raising revenue

Anoop Verma, Farnborough, England

On the one hand they say having your bins collected every 2 weeks is not a problem, then they come up with this !!

MR, York,

Thank you for letting me know exactly how I can exact revenge on my noisy neighbour. They are not obtaining any proof about who put the bins out just which house/flat they belong to. Brilliant. I reckon twice a month should ruin him at £110 a go :)

Just one exaple of why such a tactic can't be legal surely.

Emma Banton, Carterton, Oxon

Maybe when the councils are checking people's bins they could make a note of the streets that need cleaning of litter and if this is not carried out maybe we can get a rebate on our council tax.

Martin Gilleland, Hereford, UK

How about fining the bin men for not clearing up the rubbish that they drop?

Barrie , Birmingham,

A great idea, if the council did this where i live in Twickenham, they would earn a fortune. The streets are like a tip. I know a person who put his rubbish out just after the dustmen came, so it was there a week, until they came again.

Harry, Twickenham, England

I live in a small town and did not receive a fine at this time fortunately. But I am still angry. Why?
Bin collectors refused several times my rubbish because it was not in black bags. I had to find out myself because they did not say why they refused my blue or white bags.
When we moved, they refused to collect my cartons (they were folded) because they were not equipped to collect they say (later, because I called them to claim)
And furthermore, dates bin are collected are changing every 3 months (?) but we are never aware of! Once I put my bags outside and all my neighbours did the same. Bin collectors came 3 days later than the normal day!
I never know if it is Monday, Tuesday or Thursday. I have to look at what my neighbours are doing!
If communications were correctly performed, and consistent, I would more accept to be responsible if I leave my bin outside!

Mael, Haywards Heath,

The local councils all over the country have found a lucrative way of making money. Under rules of health & safety the people are being bled with extra costs. where does the money taken from these poor souls go. It would be interesting to see the 'books' of the councils.

victor arram, westclff on sea, uk

Weleft England because it was becoming dirty and scruffy, no pride.
If the majority can get it right then what's wrong with bringing the rest into line? Perhaps the one's writing here are the people who get it wrong all the time?

m, porto san paolo, italy

Well, I have lived to see the triumph of the fascists in the Town Halls of the UK! "Totalitarians rule the waves...", is the new verse to be added to "Rule Britannia". This country is going mad and to the dogs rapidly.

John S M Roberts, O.B.E., Seaford, England

I agree with the councils. Our rubbish was collected on Easter Monday, they were early. Two of my neighbours missed the collection and now it is Friday and those 2 bags are still on the pavement. The crows destroy the bags and distribute the rubbish widely, then the other animals join in.

Mrs Smith, Carmarthenshire, South Wales

The smell and the rats are all coming from one direction... and its not the consumer..
Before long, you'll be fined for farting, so don't eat.
Freedom is fast becoming an obsolete word.

Dave, Groningen, Netherlands

What a load of 'rubbish', I would 'refuse' to pay it. We should 'bin' this rule, it was a 'waste' of time creating it. Could the council not have 'bin' a little more proactive rather than the usual tack of "we have to hit them in their wallets".
Councils are full of 'hasbins' and spout nothing but hot air (but no hot ashes)

Andy Caldin, Somerset, UK

Andrew: it's not that easy. I'm in my mid-twenties, sick of the government, council tax, knifing hoodies, poor pay, the lack of respect for elders in this culture, congestion charging, and the high cost of living. But I love England, it's home. Where would I go?

Nadia Ahmad, Sutton, england

......so what happens if I am blind or disabled and fall over your black bag and break my neck???

leo cook, London,

It's a complete joke, as is refuse collection as a whole.

In Hatfield, we have no wheeliebins and no recycling facilities aside from those at supermarkets and suchlike. Rubbish is left in bags outside houses and put in the street the night before bin-day. Disgusting odours are everywhere on a Wednesday night as rotting rubbish is strewn throughout the area.

Not to mention the binmen not turning up some weeks. Our rubbish was collected a day late this week, meaning that everyone's bin-bags were sat in the streets for over 24 hours. Rather unsightly and extremely unpleasant.

Where does the council tax go?

George, Hatfield,

Hold on, if I've read this correctly, you only get fined if you leave the bin out BEFORE 6pm of the evening before collection day. That's seems rather generous to me. If people can't find time to put a bin out after 6pm evening before or anytime on the morning of collection, they are working too long hours and therefore earning enough to pay any amount of fine.

Philip Addyman, Newcastle,

Can we fine our bin collectors for leaving rubbish strewn all over our street? Every time our bin collectors empty our rubbish bin they leave some all over our pavements and streets!

K Law, Leicester, UK

So what is the difference between having the bin outside your gate and inside it, it will stick wherever it is and the rats will find it just as easily . Expect real problems this summer with collections being once a fortnight, in the interests of recycling ?? This is just the sort of verbal rubbish logic we get from our Local Authority officers.

W.Watkin, andover, U.K.

for rob what if im not at home to put the bin out at the wright time

david, doncaster, yorkshire

A wonderful example of why so many of us have given up living in the UK. An army of jobsworths is recruited to 'manage' these pettyfogging restrictions on people's lives, with their final salary pensions paid for by local residents. Is this what is meant by essential services?

David, Kyrenia, Cyprus

Unfortunately, Ben (London, below), the Magna Carta has been replaced, a technical by-product of other legislation introduced relatively recently. It's still a nice reference to what should be the "spirit of the law" though.

Austin, London,

I was in local government; when you walk through the 'corridors of power' and hear officers talk the main topics of conversation are: A: What will we get in the next pay-rise....and B: How can we swing early retirement. We are usually led to believe that it is the elected councillors who make the decisions; what is indeed the case is that the councilors are led by the nose by clever/crafty planting of 'seeds' by clever officers into thinking it was their idea in the first place: The dustbin 'rule' is typical and, rumour has it, was first instigated by a dustman - or sanitation engineer as they like to be labled!

Derek Clifton, Andover, Hampshire, England

I can go part of the way with the idea of fining house-dwellers if they anticipate collection by placing bins on the street by more than 24 hours . What the system ignores, however, is the variability in collection days brought on by public holidays. It's very easy to forget that bins may be collected on a Friday instead of a Thursday simply because the previous Monday was a bank holiday.

Edward Willhoft, Epsom, EK

6pm the day before to get rubbish out does seem a reasonable request, however this does seem to smack of councils finding new ways to extract money from residents.
If the councils can afford rubbish wardens, why can't they afford traffic wardens to control the menace of people who think double yellow lines are road decorations??

C. Armstrong, Manchester, UK

I'm simply furious. How dare the council fine householders for putting rubbish out. We pay them to SERVE us, not discipline us. Putting your bins out an hour early is not a crime. Well, I doubt the councils that do this will get elected again becuase good refuse collection is one of the first things people expect of a council. If your council behaves unreasonably in any way you should make it your business to write to your councillor - let them know this is not acceptable. I am going to write to my councillor IN ADVANCE to let them know that I will be campaigning against them at the next election if they try this fining idea.

Luci Thomas, Enfield, UK

If more people complained in public rather than just moan amongst themselves these people would think twice about new taxes.

After some years in local government I found that proposals would be made and if there was no comment from the public the officers would say " Well, we got away with that now will will try this!"

Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD,

I only live in my house half the time. Coincidence has it that I'm not there when they come and pick up the bins (once every two weeks), so I've got to put it out early. I asked them if they could pick it up some other time, and they wanted to charge me 35 quid, even though the neighbouring street has its collection once a week, and the bin men would be there anyway (I'm the last house in the row). Insane.

P.S. Why won't the "remember me" box work?

starling, Lancaster,

Ben, I thought Magna Carta had been repealed - by a previous Labour Government in the '70s. I think it was Lord Gardiner who said at the time that it was no longer needed as all its provisions were covered in other legislation. Not so, it seems.

It's easy to see why people may not always put their bins out during the specified time period - working shifts, for instance, or being old and infirm and relying on others to put the bin out when they visit. Bags of rubbish piled up on London's streets is a very different issue from the average domestic wheelie bin being left out for an hour or two longer than the Council mandates. This move smacks of yet another stealth tax.

Suzanne, Hebrides, Scotland

So the councils are worried about 'rats' getting into rubbish bags. I thought it was the responsibility of the councils to control the rats. Clearly imposing fines is yet another money grabbing stealth tax idea from government and councils. Mark my words, this will serve only to increase fly-tipping.

Amy Davies, Cardiff, UK

If we are going to be fined for putting out too early or not putting out on time can we expect the councils to ACCEPT a fine for NOT collecting the bins when they should. My recycling was not collected when I was forced to put the bin on the opposite side of the driveway to normal.

Anthony Box, Wretton, UK

Magna Carta, Ben? Where have you been for the last ten years? We are spied upon, monitored, taxed for the privilege and fined if we put a foot wrong. The entire political system of this country needs a change if we are to regain any freedom whatsoever.

Martin Mills, Tunbridge Wells, England

Most of the article makes it clear that people have been fined for putting their rubbish out at the wrong time, a potentially extremely anti-social practice.
At the end, however, it states "Councils can issue a fixed-penalty notice to residents who persistently fail to put their rubbish out at the right time and date ". This is a totally different concept and if this is the case then it is totally unjust. I suspect, however, that it is a case of a journalist who does not express him/herself correctly and lack of competent editing thereafter.

Tom, Birmingham, England

"The bags attract rats and they can start to smell if they have food in them."
These are exactly the arguments that residents in some parts of the country put forward when their local authority moved to collecting waste once every two weeks. It seems that rats and nasty niffs are fine, just as long as they are in your house or garden for a week and not in the street for a couple of hours!

Andy , Portsmouth, England

While we expect dumb PC correct statements from the Blair/Brown Government being spun to hide new tax gathering or citizen control initiatives for our new Socialist Authoritarian State. To get such utter crap being spun by someone (Robert Alden), suggesting they are Conservative councillor who is there standing for Tory values.

Are these ‘street rats’ immigrants or terrorists, as opposed to the garden rats that appear to be harmless?

Ian B, Reading,

Well i have so say anyone leaving a bag of stinking rubbish out for the dustmen the night before deserves a fine.

The streets should be cleaner and there are people in the UK ( lots ) that couldnt care less, i see no problem why rubbish cant be placed out on the day of the collection "PROVIDING" the collections are past 10am etc.

Dave, Camberley, uk

Although it is a shame that putting your bins out a few hours earlier is attracting fines (harsh!), I agree with the Council who are issuing fines to those that keep leaving their wheelie bins out all week and can't be bothered to take this back to their house once emptied. There's nothing worse than seeing bins lying on its side in the street - doesn't that attact vermin?

R Sharif, Edinburgh,

Isn't it absolutely incredible the attitude of late of our councils. They appear to have forgotton that they are there to provide a service and it is the residents that have voted to put them there - it is getting to be more like a dictatorship!
It is not that many years ago all residents were instructed to take their rubbish to the road side rather than house to house collection and now they want to impose a fine for not doing it at the right time! People do try but cannot get it right all of the time & a penalty is not the answer. What would be interesting to know is where the money was found for these bin wardens and are there targets for them to cover their costs?

Pat Collins, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

I have to agree - why should others have to put up with the smell and the eye-sore of bins in the street? And what about fines for those who don't take their bins in after the rubbish has been collected? We have neighbours who week after week don't bother taking their bins back in - even when they continue to use them - causing obstruction to the narrow pavements and preventing parents from pushing their kids push chairs. It's pure lazyness.

Justin, London, UK

This is just another form of bureaucratic dictatorship. More and more ridiculous regulations will come into force unless everyone stands up against these types of measures. Also, why is it acceptable for councils to start collecting rubbish every fortnight, rather than every week? It's okay for rats to be attracted to individuals' premises is it, from the extra build up of waste over these weeks?

In the 1930's in Germany, regulations crept up on people until no rights were left for the people deemed unacceptable by Hitler's government. How far along the same road is this Country?

Janet Hughes, Montgomery, Wales, UK

Same thing happened in the US as I lived there when recycling and wheely bins and can liners became law. People at first resisted but gradually with enough fines and citations people started to follow the rules and eventually it became second nature. One thing I have found though is that recycling seems to be a pretty hit of miss thing here and not because people don't want to recycle but because it is not compulsory. Where I live you can recycle or not, your choice and you only get bins and bags when you request. This is nuts. Recycling and proper garbage treatment should be compulsory. I notice only those people who cannot be bothered to follow the rules yell the loudest.

Shirley Hodge, Glasgow, E. Renfrewshire

I moved away from the UK to work in South Korea last year. Now here isn't the cleanest palce in the world. However, the more and more I read about the happenigns in the UK the more reluctant I am to actually want to return to live. The councils and governments seem to finding more and more ways to get money out of people. Wardens patroling the streets? Who is paying for them? Britain survived for hundreds of eyars without "rubbish wardens" before, so why waste money on them now?

Nicholas Barrowclough, Incheon, South Korea

So, I go on holiday and leave for the airport in the morning. Bin bags full of garbage have to lie stinking in my flat for two weeks, breeding germs and attracting vermin because I am not supposed to leave them out until after six pm on the day before collection.
Charming load of money grabbing beurocracy and more little Hitlers in second rate military style uniforms sneaking about the streets.Let's give them their just deserts and name them the 'Alleyway Rats'.

Brendan Greer, Donaghadee, Co Down

In our area (North Wilts) some people have been putting their rubbish in North Wiltshire Dustbins. But quite a few people still put their rubbish in plastic bags. The reason for this is that they live too far from the collection points.

This means that the rats can get to rubbish (quite enough for them). So we the North Wiltshire dustbin users still have to put up with people leaving the rubbish bags out all night, or even a few days, yet we all stick to our proper disposal of rubbish. What is the point of us doing this when the council let some people break the rules. There should really be bins parked for the special cases to put there rubbish in. Then they could start finning the people who don't obey the rules.

Shaun Martin, Malmesbury, Wilts, England, U.K.

Yes these fines are illegal and as usual the British taxpaying public are supposed to sit back and take it. Don't you just love serving the state?

What about a country-wide tax protest day?

Every UK council tax payer withholds a single day's council tax - to remind these power abusers what it would be like if we turned off the tap...

Henry Northcroft, London,

Milner should not be encouraging too many people to come to Japan as what makes it such a pleasant place to live in is the low number of foreigners and the fact that it is not a sucker for unworkable multicultural "values".

Chie, Tokyo, Japan

Another Orwellian piece of legislation. Do they think that rats would stay in a householders garden, if the bins were there for a few more hours, and not venture onto the street?
It must be a great job being a warden wandering the streets and issuing tickets. I trust cost-concious councils will employ the same wardens, at no extra cost, to double up as smoking spies come July?

Simon, Huddersfield,

Unbelievable! Fined for not putting your garbage can out at the correct time!

Thank goodness I left Britain18 years ago. I never want to return, and this sort of thing is a prime reason why.

M. Jones, Santa Rosa, California.

M Jones, Santa Rosa , California

As in all areas of "public service" the servant has become the master with obnoxious bureaucrats lording it over the rest of us. I had a Conservative prospective councillor at the door the other night. I told him that if he started putting these people in their place I would vote for him. To be honest I don't think he'd even thought of doing such a thing but found the idea appealing which made me wonder how many people actually complain about the jobsworths that infest our town halls.

Now is the time that you can make your voice heard and vote out the councils who behave like power crazed rip off merchants.

Simon, Medway,

What is so difficult about putting your bin out at the right time if you know when the bin men are coming? You wouldn't need a system of fines if people thought for themselves and were responsible for their own actions instead of blaming the enforcing authority.

Rob, London,

Most streets in UK towns are blighted by bags of rubbish and wheely bins. The main cause is the use of kerbside collection. In many areas property owners have no alternative but to leave the bins out on the street. The solution is to go back to the old days when bins were collected from one's house or property, or to introduce unground communal waste containers which are being used increasingly on the continent. It would cost us more in council tax, but not that much more, and would rid our streets of wheely bins. Councils need to be funded to enable this to happen.

Robert Huxford, Kent, England

So what part of "get with the programme" don't you understand? Britain: Hate it and leave it.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

The Magna Carta states that nobody should pay a fine without being taken to court and tried in front of a jury, therefore these fines are illegal.

Ben, London, England, England

Wheelie bins are an absolute menace, made more so by the irresponsible householders that leave them out obstructing foot-paths. Foot-paths are for pedestrians! For once in your selfish lives think of others! What about the visually impaired or mothers with prams. If you flout the law you deserve to be fined, and heavily!

mark rewhorn, coventry,

Now here's a surprise "bags attract rats and smell if there's food in them". But the other week Councils and the Government were saying that such problems didn't exist even if bins were not emptied for two weeks. Just another stealth tax.

John Guttridge, Bromley,