Because of a strike by council workers last month, and the fact that Kirklees council had switched to fortnightly collections – shame on you – rubbish had been piling up. The wheelie bins were full and plastic rubbish bags had been torn open close to where local children played.

After the residents complained, the council promised to send a "rapid
response vehicle" to collect the rubbish and, sure enough, just a fortnight later, the speedy bin lorry finally rolled into view.

That's when the trouble started. The binmen said that while they would empty the wheelie bins, they wouldn't touch the bin bags.

The residents tried to be reasonable and offered to load the offending bin bags into the bin lorry themselves. "Can't let you do that," replied the binmen. "It's against health and safety."

So a stand-off ensued, but it wasn't until the appearance of Clipboard Man that the residents of Birks Road finally, gloriously, famously snapped.

Mother-of-two Rebecca Jones, 30, takes up the story: "A guy in a shirt and tie appeared and said, 'To teach you a lesson, we are not emptying the bins in the street', so we formed a human chain around
the lorry."

Another resident blocked in the bin lorry with his car and local children sat down in front of the vehicle and refused
to budge.

Finally, after two hours, the council admitted defeat. The bags were shifted, the siege lifted and Clipboard Man and the binmen went off with their tails between their legs.

Let's get one thing straight – the bullying and persecution of ordinary taxpayers by local and central government over rubbish collections has absolutely nothing to do with the environment.

The telling detail in this little saga is the sheer arrogance and contempt for residents shown by the "to teach you a lesson" comment by the man from the council.

I'd like to think that this revolt would persuade councils like Kirklees to think again before bullying residents, but I wouldn't bet on it. They never learn.

Certainly, the jumped-up, petty official who sparked the confrontation needs a sharp reminder of who pays his wages.

And Kirklees councillors should hang their heads in shame that they run
an organisation that can't even shift piles of stinking rubbish for its
paying customers.

As for Mrs Jones and her fellow residents of Birks Road, they are national heroes. Any chance of some of them standing for the local council?


Bear necessity

TWO weeks after Russian tanks rolled into Georgia, they are still there – and they show no signs of moving, despite promises of a withdrawal by the Kremlin.

The United Nations is paralysed and, as always, completely useless.

For all the hyperactivity and claims of breakthroughs from Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, the EU has been little better.

There is only one thing that will persuade the Russians to pull out – and that is the steadfast approach of Nato and, in particular, our American allies.

This latest crisis exposes all the talk of an EU Army or a Rapid Reaction Force as the sham it really is. Our European allies lack the capacity to intervene militarily on any substantial scale.

No, the only thing that will stop Russian tanks is the British and Americans.

That's why our primary foreign policy goal should remain as it was throughout the Cold War – stick like glue to the US.