Houses with overflowing bins could incur fines or a day in court

Overflowing wheelie bins could soon land householders with a fine or court appearance.

It is part of a crackdown on waste disposal as new by-laws come into place around the country.

People will also be asked to show receipts as proof that they are getting rid of their rubbish legally.

Nick Bond is the Head of waste enforcement for the southern region and he explained how they will try to track down offenders.

Mr Bond said: "We don't have enough waste enforcers to cover the whole country, so we're using technology to identify areas of no cover.

"We'll have surveys in those areas to identify houses that are not disposing of waste correctly."

He also said people could be in trouble if their bins blow over.

He said: "People have a responsibility to not have their bins in that situation where a gust of wind will blow litter all over the road.

"So, it's a subjective assessment, but it allows us to go into the homeowner and raise the issue."