Refuse sacks could be torn open by inspectors looking to find which households are breaching rubbish regulations, a meeting heard.

Brighton and Hove city councillors last night voted in favour of a controversial scheme to issue £100 charges to residents who persistently put out too much waste or do not sort out their recycleable materials.

When asked how they would know who was responsible for bin bags when there was a line of overflowing wheelie-bins, councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the environment committee meeting at Hove Town Hall, said they could be checked.

Coun Mitchell said: "Wherever we get complaints from householders that their neighbours are putting bags into their bins, we will, if necessary, arrange to go out and check through the refuse to identify whose waste it is."

Coun Mitchell said that she would not be conducting the checks in person.

Council enforcement officers have already begun monitoring which households persistently put out excessive rubbish, or fail to separate goods for recycling.

The officers will be able to issue warnings to any residents breaching their guidelines.

Households given warnings will be offered advice on how to reduce their waste output then allowed three weeks to cut down their refuse.

If they fail to show any improvement in that time they could be fined £100.

The council team will speak to offenders to ensure they do not have a valid excuse before a legal warning is issued.

Only areas with wheelie bins are being targeted but the scheme could later be rolled out across the city.

Environment committee councillors voted unanimously in favour of the scheme.

Coun Keith Taylor, of the Green party, said: "There should be a deterrent but that should only be used in exceptional circumstances."