Is this the shape of things to come? Northampton residents were alarmed last week when men in flourescent tops appeared on the day of their collection and began rooting through their dustbins.
It wasn't until an hour later that homeowners were informed it was part of a survey being conducted by the local authority to find out what residents were throwing away.
According to the Northamptonshire Waste Partnership, the snoopers were part of a week-long waste analysis study - a collaboration of eight local authorities working to reduce rubbish going to landfill.
In a comment to the Daily Express, a spokeswoman for Northamptonshire County Council defended the checks.
“This is not a punitive measure and all data gathered will be kept strictly confidential," she said. “We just want to gather more information about what people are throwing away so we can target our resources to better meet their needs.”
This outrageous example is just the latest case of councils using snooping powers to gather ever more information on their residents. By not informing homeowners before undertaking this scheme, the local authority have only proven that they knew it was underhand and illogical.
Under the present government the powers of local councils to pry into the private lives of British citizens have massively expanded. This is exactly the sort of case Big Brother Watch was founded to highlight and campaign against, and we will not allow the culprits to forget about their actions.
By Dylan Sharpe
When one loves one's art no service seems too hard.
Posted by: ugg bailey button | 04/11/2010 at 12:21 PM
YES...TOURBLE IS FRIEND WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION.O(∩_∩)O~
Posted by: Jordan Carmelo Anthony | 17/01/2011 at 09:50 AM