Rubbish bin fines to be abolished

Fines for people who put their rubbish in the wrong bin are to be abolished under plans to be unveiled this week.

Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, will reverse Labour's policy of allowing councils to charge households up to £1,000 for leaving bins out on the wrong day or not shutting lids properly. A consultation will be launched tomorrow but councils will be told to limit fines to just £40 from this spring.

"Heavy-handed bin fines have for too long been used to punish people for innocent mistakes," Mrs Spelman said. "We are now consigning them to the scrapheap of history."

However, David Parsons, from the Local Government Association, played down the significance of the charges for most taxpayers, insisting: "Householders need not have any concern that innocent mistakes like leaving the bin out on the wrong day or putting paper in the plastics bin will land them with a fine."