Warning: keep black sacks out of public bins or risk jail

It is an offence to use bins provided at coastal locations and other public areas for anything other than general litter.

In a number of recent incidents, islanders seen disposing of general waste have been reported to police.

If they subsequently admit the offence they are served with a fixed penalty fine of £70, but could otherwise be taken to court, with conviction carrying a fine of up to £1,000.

In other instances, where there is evidence to identify the source, the owners have been sent a bill of up to £150 towards the cost of removing and disposing of the rubbish.

Guernsey Waste operations manager Sarah Robinson said such instances were effectively fly-tipping and it took a zero tolerance approach.

‘We take any incidence of fly-tipping very seriously and that includes the illegal use of litter bins to dispose of household or commercial waste,’ she said.

‘Such incidences increase workload and costs associated with providing these public facilities, so we have no hesitation in pursuing anyone abusing them.

‘We would stress this is the behaviour of a tiny minority, who somehow think it is fair for other people to pay for disposing of their waste.

‘It is not – and we are fully behind the vast majority of islanders who do not condone such antisocial behaviour.’

Deidre Hayworth, who witnessed someone dispose of household waste at Vazon, said she was not surprised.

‘A woman got her black sack out of her car and threw it in the ordinary rubbish and you can see why people are doing it because there is now a fee,’ she said.

‘But when you actually see people doing it, it is a bit shocking,

‘It’s inevitable, if you have an awful lot of kids and you don’t have a lot of money that is the last thing you’re going to want to spend money on.

‘I don’t know what they will do about this, I reckon eventually the levy which they have put on the black bin sacks will have to be scrapped as it is not going to work.’

Guernsey Waste said that anyone who sees someone disposing of their general rubbish should contact it as soon as possible.

‘When there are witnesses Guernsey Police will pursue these cases and if the person subsequently admits the offence they will likely receive a fixed penalty,’ said Mrs Robinson.

‘If they want, they can argue it in court, but if convicted they could then face a heavy fine and a criminal record.’

Under the waste strategy, charges came into force last month with islanders having to pay either £1.50 or £2.50 for each sack they put out for collection.

People must also pay £85 a year to the States and around the same again to their parish.