Council installs 'spy in the cab' to trap householders who break wheelie bin rules

The technology is being installed as part of a shake-up of refuse collection services in Scarborough. Meanwhile, in Hull residents have complained they are being asked to spy on neighbours and report them for leaving bins out too long.

In Scarborough, bin wagons are to be turned into smart vehicles with the addition of communication, and vehicle tracking systems will used to monitor the progress of rounds and enable problems to be responded to more quickly.

The system will contain a computer listing of all rounds enabling one crew to take over completion of a different round in the event of a breakdown.

However, as well as drivers getting information off the database to improve efficiency, they will be able to record things such as "contaminated" recycling bins and bins not set out for collection.

If people are putting the wrong things in the bins for recycled materials, the information can be immediately relayed to enforcement officers so that a rapid visit can be made if an officer is in the area.

If the residents are not putting their bins out in the first place, this can also be recorded – so managers can tell if repeated complaints about "missed bins" on rounds are justified or not.

However, council bosses have also underlined the "in cab" system will also afford a number of advantages for customers.

The crews will be able to tell their bosses if bins are damaged so repairs can be fast-tracked.

The real-time capacity of the system will enable customers who forgot to wheel their bin out first thing, to be informed whether the vehicle has reached their property or not.

Scarborough Council could also respond to complaints about fly tipping with precise information about where the nearest available bin wagon is that can deal with the offending waste.

Meanwhile, Hull Council has asked residents to fill in "environmental crime incident diaries", similar to those used to log violent anti-social behaviour.

The diary sheets ask householders to supply the names and addresses of anyone believed to be responsible for not removing their emptied wheelie bins from the street –and perhaps even to send in photos of the offending bin.

Anyone caught repeatedly leaving their bin out for too long risks a 100 fixed-penalty notice and, if they fail to pay, up to 1,000 court fines.

Council letters sent to homes in Mayfield Street say the move follows complaints about people failing to remove wheelie bins, thereby risking obstruction to those with disabilities and damage to parked vehicles.

But resident Ted Sewell, 73, said: "It is a load of rubbish. I will not be taking part. Most of the bins do not have numbers on them so how do we know whose they are?

"Some of those have been left out for weeks and I would rather the council came and got rid of them because no one else will empty them.

"Another problem is that quite a lot of people cannot get their bins into their yards or gardens because there are locked gates on the alleys. A lot of people come and go around here and the keys to the gates never get passed on. The only other option is to take the bin through the house, and who wants to do that?"

Some residents disagreed, saying the idea would help tidy up the street scene, but Claire Smith, 35, was taken aback at being asked "to spy on my neighbours". She added: "I would never do this and do not like the idea of my neighbours spying on me."

Mark Cornall, the council's environmental crime unit manager, said: "The first stage of

all our investigations is to establish the exact nature of the problem and obtain evidence that may support any potential action.

"This involves contacting residents in writing to determine the scale of any problem and this approach is used to tackle numerous environmental issues.

"We encourage residents to take action by raising concerns through our call centre or via the council's website to help us find those responsible."

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