RESIDENTS FLIP THEIR LIDS

10:26am Thursday 31st August 2006

HOUSEHOLDS across Bournemouth have taken their new wheelie bins to bits following revelations they have been secretly tagged.

Now the council is warning curious householders who remove the "passive" computer chips that they could pick up a £28 bill for a replacement bin.

The borough's recycling champion, Cllr John Hayter, said yesterday: "We would ask that the public does not take apart or tamper with their bins and would remind householders that it is their responsibility to ensure their bins are in a fit state to be emptied.

"If, in future, we are unable to empty bins because the chip has been deliberately tampered with it would then be necessary to replace the bin, which would normally be at the householders' expense at a cost of £28."

The warning came after one civic leader called for an inquiry into why councillors, as well as the public, had been kept in the dark over the tagging scheme.

The borough's strategic manager street services, Michael Moon, revealed that installing chips on the 70,000 new wheelie bins delivered to Bournemouth households had cost the council, and ultimately local council tax payers, about £84,000 (£1.20 for each bin).

He added: "The cost to fit these once the bins have been delivered is much higher and logistically difficult to do. We do not have a planned date for using the new system.

"Any decision to use this technology will involve elected members and residents will be made aware through local media and the Bournemouth Journal."

Mr Moon said all the new 140-litre small bins contained a passive chip. The old 240-litre bins and the bulk flat bins do not contain a chip.

"The chip contains a serial number which links each bin to the property it's been allocated to. If and when we have the technology installed on our vehicles it will be used to collect the date and time the bin was emptied and the weight of the bin. That's all.

"We are obliged to collect this information by the government. It will only record the serial number of the bins emptied and will not register anything about the contents of the bin."

The Daily Echo has been inundated with calls from readers who have removed the computer chips from their bins.

After receiving a flood of phone calls, Cllr Ron Whittaker said: "A number of residents have already removed chips from their bins and clearly more intend to."

One Winton man is among those who removed the device. "So much for democracy and open debate," he said.

And an Ensbury Park resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had removed his chip and was intending to send it to the council.

"It took me about two minutes with a hammer and screwdriver," he said. "I would urge other residents who disagree with the idea to do the same."