To have told these guys to get off my driveway? (Bin)

[TheViewFromTheCheapSeats]

Thursday is bin day, wheelie bins are out at the boundary for collection. Other days my bins are near the kitchen door as it practical, round the back/at the side corner of the house.
Last night (Tuesday) in the dark I was a bit freaked out to hear people right outside my back door about 8:30pm. Just me and the kids home. Two guys, one with a clipboard, one with a torch looking in a bin were there.
They’d walked down my drive and down the side of my house to look in bins by the back door (you’d just about see them from the front as one bin was sticking out).
I was a bit shocked, thought they could be identify thieves / burglars casing at first and shouted ‘oi, get out! Out! What you doing?! Get out my garden!’ out of the upstairs window.
I followed to the front door and opened it and the guy was all defensive-that it’s his job to check bins for the council to see we haven’t put anything in them not allowed. Apparently everyone else understands this and has no problem/ he doesn’t expect to be shouted at.
I didn’t swear or carry on shouting, but I think most people would shout at two guys in the dark they found rummaging in their back garden? I just stepped out and locked the side gate and told them they could check in collection days as much as they like, but they have no right to enter as they please. Speaking to others they are definitely from the council.

1. In the dark wandering around houses isn’t on
   
2. What is in my bin outside collection days is my business, the kids sometimes make recycling mistakes and before I put the bins out I check the rubbish is in the correct bin
   
3. The bin men will only take the bins from the boundary, not even two foot down the drive. So why can these guys walk around the house?
   

He also popped a letter through the door after a few minutes that’s a warning letter about the recycling, threatening an £80 fine if we put out non-recycling items again. He’s written in the blank space there was ‘food packaging’ in the recycling bin. Apparently they have recorded this. I’ve been to check the in bin this morning and I can’t see anything in the wheelie bin that’s not allowed! There’s food packaging like clean Tins etc, but nothing not on the website list. Also, the bloody bin wasn’t even out for collection.

Aibu to write a complaint? Partly regarding the first step of an £80 fine!

[Chocolatewheatos]

I'd have called the police. Absolutely would have thought they were looking for bank statements.
Have the council actually confirmed? Just because they've told the same story to everyone on the street doesn't mean it's the truth.

[kistanbul]

Complain to your councillor - www.gov.uk/find-your-local-councillors

[MNFHD]

If this is a genuine job then it beggars belief! What an utter waste of money, time and resources. The Council are all bloody mad!

[TrashyPanda]

That is wrong in so many ways.

You can put whatever you want in any of your bins, as long as it isn’t there on bin pick up day

[SnackSizeRaisin]

Must be a scam. I would phone the police.
It's trespass to go onto someone's property. The council are not going to be funding that. The bin men can and do check for things that shouldn't be there. Usually they refuse to empty the bin if it's a lot of wrong stuff.

[SnackSizeRaisin]

Just because they've told the same story to everyone on the street doesn't mean it's the truth.

Exactly. You can't get a fixed penalty notice for putting the wrong thing in a bin. See government website. FPNs are for things that are a danger to health and the environment, like repeatedly leaving bags of rubbish in the street for days

[MiddleClassProblem]

Our delivery drivers frequently put things parcels in the recycling bin if we are out, not by our instruction, so it must happen all over the place. How can they judge you if it’s not put out for collection? I would definitely complain and encourage others with issues on Facebook to do the same. They may actually listen if there are numbers.

[SnackSizeRaisin]

Our council sub contract everything and if you complain they try to say they can’t deal with complaints and you need to deal with the company…

Contact your local councillor. They can confirm whether these people are legitimate. An id badge and company name don't mean anything, nor do Facebook posts.

[thisplaceisweird]

I can't believe what I've just read! Is it really like that in the UK? It sounds so creepy and big brother-like. I live in Spain and we don't have personal bins, we just take our bin bags to the community bins and there are various ones for different recycling, as well as textiles and old oil in the city ones. It's a pain to walk to it, but we use smaller bin bags anyway for the smell.

Apparently everyone else understands this and has no problem/ he doesn’t expect to be shouted at this also makes him a dickhead. I hate when people say stuff like this to excuse unreasonable behaviour.

[MNFHD]

@Skysblue

Raising with MP is a good idea too. This isn’t a police state.

I think it is a Police State now, maybe not literally but as good as.

[SarahBellam]

@TheViewFromTheCheapSeats

I don’t believe they are council employees/ the bin men (who are always very pleasant). They contract a private company for fixed penalty fines etc, it has a link with the companies logo too.

Get in touch with the council cabinet member for Environment. Ultimately the buck stops with them - they can hold the company to account.

[Sweetpeasaremadeforbees]

It isn't generally like that in the UK, this is the first time I've heard of this and I would definitely be taking it further.

[SimpsonsXmasBoogie]

I would assume they are criminals and work from there. Don't give them the benefit of the doubt and don't just assume that what they did was legal/ok just because your neighbours have said it's happened to them.

[0blio]

Are you in England? Our council tells us if the recycling bin is full just put any excess in the black (non recycling) bin. And we only have to pay for the removal of garden waste.

I would have called the police the minute I noticed two men lurking about at the back of my house!

[Newnameforabit]

I'd go on cack to the council. That's who you pay. Who they contract it to is their business
Your contract is with the council and they should be investigating it
I'd be livid, that's really intimidating
Also is there a law that you have to recycle anything? We do it because we want to help save the environment. They will just push people putting everything in to landfill bins

[Seasonschange]

I would get a bin lock incase they come back. You shouldn’t have to but I’d be scared of a fine! You can obviously challenge a fine but it’s easier to ignore it.

[Seasonschange]

I didn’t mean to say ignore it then I meant to say avoid it

[DaisyNGO]

Check with the council first

If they really are from the council, I'd go to the press with that

Insanity. You'd think people were breaking in.

[DaisyNGO]

Also, I'd have set my personal alarm (or burglar alarm if I had one) off in that situation.

[TotallySuper]

I would have called the police about intruders or potential burglars so they're lucky. What a weird thing to do and in the pitch black night in winter too!! Next time call the police let them deal with them. This can't be right.

[Floralnomad]

YANBU , if they want to check what’s in bins they should come round on the same day as the binmen and check at the roadside .

[TheFeistyFeminist]

"He also popped a letter through the door after a few minutes that’s a warning letter about the recycling, threatening an £80 fine if we put out non-recycling items again."

But you hadn't put out your recycling, so there's the technicality for getting the warning removed.

Agree with whoever said check their investigatory powers, they were on your property without your prior knowledge and consent.

Stress that you felt vulnerable, dark night, strangers, unexpected behaviour.

I'd be livid too.

[HelebethH]

Play them at their own game and use bin locks. Unlock them only when bins are out for collection.

[TotallySuper]

@HelebethH

Play them at their own game and use bin locks. Unlock them only when bins are out for collection.

Oh yes do this OP!

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

YANBU.

We're a large family so have a second full size recycling bin & half size general waste bin & the council come & check yearly to verify we're still entitled to them, but they do it in daylight & knock the door first to show ID, even when they were at the front of the house. I wouldn't be happy to find random people on my property after dark.