Wheelie bin 'spies' will weigh up the rubbish

Thousands of wheelie bins in London are to be electronically tagged to allow councils to measure the waste individual households produce.

The microchips help maximise recycling and minimise the amount of rubbish ending up in landfill sites.

But critics fear the scheme will lead to "Big Brother" tactics, with council officials able to spy on households.

Andrew Pellin, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, said: "The Stasi or the KGB could have never dreamed of getting a spy device in every household."

The microchips will be used with refuse lorries which will weigh the bins before they are emptied. The council will then be able to identify homes where the amount of rubbish is higher than expected.

A leaf let from Labourcontrolled Croydon council explaining the scheme says: "We will be able to get in touch to help residents manage their rubbish more effectively."

Gerry Ryan, cabinet member for environmental services, backed the plan. "It may be people dumping trade waste in the bins or waste which should be recycled," he said.

Hi-tech bins are already used in Camden and Bexley as well as the US and Europe.