What a mess

In Hull, residents are being asked to spy on their neighbours and shop them if bins are left out for too long – while the "big brother" approach in Scarborough will see hi-tech gadgetry used, as part of a wider programme of improvements, to monitor the length of time that bins are left in the street.

The presumption with both of these initiatives is that it is the residents concerned – and not the councils – who are in the wrong.

This is naive and misguided. One reason some streets are blighted with wheelie bins is because householders have nowhere to store them – or that binmen have failed to empty them on the designated day.

As such, the councils may find that some practical help and gentle persuasion achieves far more progress than this heavy-handed policy, especially if it is backed up by a more efficient collection service.