SPY chips will not be fitted to wheelie bins being rolled out across Christchurch over the next two years - unless demanded by a Big Brother government.

That was the pledge made by council leader Cllr Alan Griffiths when questioned whether Christchurch would follow the lead of Bournemouth in bugging its rubbish bins.

To cheers from council colleagues, he announced: "This council has not and will not install secret microchips in people's wheelie bins."

Already in use in the Hurn and St Catherine's area of the borough, wheelie bins and recycling boxes will be issued to all householders as part of a national initiative to reduce waste and cut the amount of rubbish going to landfill sites.

But there was a furore across the borough boundary when it was revealed that Bournemouth council bins were fitted with passive microchips, linking them to individual households.

It's feared in the future these could be used to monitor the amount of refuse from each household, leading long-time Christchurch councillor Cllr Colin Bungey to ask if similar bin bugs were planned for the town.

In his reply, Cllr Griffiths said: "Cllr Bungey will no doubt share my abhorrence at the idea that we should secretly snoop on our friends and neighbours in this way."

"He should not, however, be surprised that a neighbouring authority has installed these chips as they are taking a lead from the most authoritarian government this country has ever known."

Cllr Griffiths claimed the spy chip was a precursor for a stealth tax on rubbish which would hit the most disadvantaged sections of the community and those with large families.

And he warned: "I cannot guarantee that in the future this government may not impose such a scheme upon Christchurch but I can assure you that as long as I am leader of this council we will not be snooping on our residents in this way unless we are forced to.

"We should resist this illiberal and un-British snooping."