Want to help the neighbours with the rubbish? It’s illegal

A GOOD Samaritan who took his neighbour’s rubbish to a recycling centre has been told he is breaking the law.

00:00, Sat, Oct 24, 2009

Drop someone else s waste at the tip and you could face prosecution Drop someone else's waste at the tip and you could face prosecution

Tony Prior, 70, took several bags of waste belonging to his neighbours to a recycling centre in Chard, Somerset, because they are housebound and cannot drive.

But staff at the centre stopped the pensioner because it was “third-party waste”.

Mr Prior said: “I am outraged. I was just doing a good deed for the day.” The draconian rules mean anyone doing friends a favour could be prosecuted.

A Somerset Waste Partnership spokesman said: “If people knowingly take other people’s rubbish to recycling centres, they are breaking the law.

“The only way out of this is for the good Samaritan to register with the Environment Agency as a registered carrier. This applies throughout the country.”