As this "wheel we, won't we?" debate continues, perhaps Brighton and Hove City Council will now accept the public are tired of having schemes such as these imposed upon them without consultation.

Like our New Labour Government, it thinks it knows best.

Looking at its glossy brochure, I see one of the reasons given for introducing these hideous bins is to make it safer for refuse collectors.

Yet I estimate only one in ten are emptied according to procedure.

They still lift the bags out of the bins and throw them into piles in the road, to be then thrown onto the back of the lorry.

Bags still split and rubbish is still spilled. Perhaps they will issue themselves with fixed penalty notices.

The recycling boxes all have ill-fitting lids. On windy days, these are frequently blown off, causing newspapers, bottles and cans to be scattered.

Do the refuse collecters pick these up? What do you think?

Has anyone considered how much extra water is wasted washing out all these bottles and cans?

Why is it that, even though we are never more than six feet from a bin, people still throw their litter on pavements and in gardens?

Why, when identity theft is on the increase, do we insist on making our rubbish more easily accessible to crooks?

Why does there appear to be different rules for different roads?

Or is the council just holding back until after the General Election?

-Chris Dunford, Brighton