A FURIOUS Haydock resident claims St Helens Council are fitting spying microchips to green wheelie bins and has branded the policy "Big Brother gone mad."

The businesswoman, who has asked the Star to withhold her name, says she discovered a black electronic bug under the lip of her environmental waste bin and is angry that the council did not consult her before it was fitted.

Reports in a number of national newspapers over the weekend suggested that the tags are being secretly piloted in St Helens and other selected locations across the UK.

It is believed that the devices, which are about the size of a 10p piece, could monitor how much rubbish residents are throwing away.

The businesswoman fumed: "I think it's disgusting to tag our bins without permission.

" It is unforgivable. Residents need to be made aware of this - it's Big Brother gone mad.The council are probably just doing it as a dummy run for now, but surely this is an infringement of our privacy."

Scanned

Upon closer inspection of the device, she spotted that the words 'World Tag Unique' and 'Logistic and Industrial Transponder' are etched onto the front.It is understood that the microchips may be scanned when the bins are emptied into the dustcarts every fortnight.

It is also believed that local councils could face fines if they fail to meet new recycling targets under the EU landfill directive. The government is aiming to recycle 30 per cent of all household waste by 2010.

However, a spokesperson for St Helens Council said: "Wheelie bins in St Helens are not chipped.

"There is a government pilot scheme for chipping bins but St Helens is not part of that project.

"And there is no truth that the council is using such technology to charge residents."