A DEDICATED recycler is taking a stand against council spies' after discovering Big Brother has been watching him via his rubbish.

Simon Boardman found two silicone chips embedded in his bin lids after reading about the computer technology.

Councils across the country, including Hyndburn and Pendle in East Lancashire, use the chips to monitor residents' waste habits by registering how often they put out their household and garden waste bins for collection.

He was so incensed at finding the penny-sized microchips that he gouged them out. The 54-year-old from Clayton-le-Moors is refusing to replace the chips and accused Hyndburn Council of spying on his daily routine.

Mr Boardman said: "I don't believe anybody has the right to root through my rubbish and spy on me without letting me know." The microchips, labelled Bin Bugs,' have been fitted in the lips of garden waste bins, household rubbish bins and recycling boxes distributed by the council to households across Hyndburn.

They have been used by the council for three years to monitor which houses are regularly putting out rubbish in the correct manner.

However, it has been suggested that in the future the chips could be used to weigh the rubbish collected in order to fine those who are not recycling, or those who are putting out too much waste.

It has also been rumoured that the chips could be programmed to scan the barcodes of discarded products to observe shopping and lifestyle trends.

Mr Boardman said he puts only one small bag of rubbish out a week and is dedicated to recycling the rest of his household waste. He also runs a garage on Grange Lane, Accrington, that converts vehicles to environmentally-friendly liquid petroleum gas.

Mr Boardman believes the council should ask for permission to use the microchips and has offered to remove them from the bins of other concerned residents.

Coun Peter Clarke, the council's executive for the environment, said: "Removing chips from the bins damages council property and may leave residents open to prosecution."