to think putting your bin out early is not as serious as stealing

[5Foot5]

I heard a story on this morning's Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that made my jaw drop.

A Minister of State called Caroline Spelman was talking about how some fines had been reviewed to make them more proportionate to the offence. The example she gave was that putting your dustbin out early or leaving the lid up could potentially attract a fine of £120. However, that had now been lowered to £80 which put it on the same level as a first time shoplifting offence.

Seriously!?

I was gobsmacked that:
a) There actually are areas where you can be fined for putting your bin out too early (define too early)
b) Anyone in their right minds thinks that this is as serious as, and should attract the same penalty as, deliberately stealing from a shop.

Words (almost) fail.

Surely IANBU to think this is absolutely barking?

Yabu

I live at the end of a street and our bins for half the street are collected from the side of my house.

Fine. No problem.

But our bins are emptied on a Thursday and there were still neighbours bins' outside my house on Tuesday.

This happens every week.

And as my house is up for sale, it cheeses me off immensely. Wtf are they doing with their rubbish if their bin is next to my house?

I hope they all get fined- lazy buggers