Ministers have endorsed bigger punishments for families who break wheelie bin rules than for shoplifters.

 

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn backed on-the-spot fines of up to £110 for those who overfill their bins, leave them out too early, or put out sacks of 'side waste' alongside.

 

The price of defying rubbish regulations is £30 higher than the £80 fixed penalty fine given to shoplifters or those involved in drunken disorder in city centres.

 

The confirmation that Labour has been putting pressure on town halls and their bin police comes after three years of rapid growth in the numbers of fine tickets handed out to householders singled out for 'littering' - the offence committed by those who infringe strict wheelie bin rules.

 

Around 20,000 fines for breach of rubbish collection rules are thought to have been handed out in the latest year for which figures have been released. Tickets usually demand payment of fines of £100 or £110.

 

Whole story here : http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article...cked-plans.html

Isn’t this ridiculous, punishing householders more than shoplifters or drunk and disorderly?

 

But this is Nu Labour, who realise they can fleece the law abiding citizen over the scum sponguers who are draining the government coffers with fines that they wont be able to (or don't intend to pay).

 

Besides its another great way to gain more fingerprints to the Government's DNA database ..... but that is another issue.

 

 

It sure is ridiculous, but as TiP says, it's an easy way for the Government to make money.They certainly should be concentrating their efforts on those involved in drunken disorder and shoplifters. The rest of us are having to pay for the losses that stores make due to shoplifting, in the form of increased prices in the stores.

This woud seem a big vote loser. Makes me wonder why they are doing it?