Dundee residents are running scared of the stinging court-imposed financial penalties they could now face if they fail to take in their bins.
The city council has been afforded tough new powers that could lead to repeat offenders being reported to the procurator fiscal as a last resort.
But with a maximum £1,000 fine available should matters escalate that far, it has emerged that a warning notice has so far been enough to keep householders in line.
The council confirmed to The Courier that not a single person had been referred to the Crown since the new legislation was introduced in March.
Councillor Fraser Macpherson represents the West End, which includes a high number of flatted properties and HMOs. He said he believes the new legislation is having a positive impact.
“I have never envisaged a lot of people being reported to the procurator fiscal,” Mr Macpherson said. “In fact, I think such cases will be extremely rare.
“My experience is that most people are reasonable and will begin to take their bins in if they are reminded of their responsibilities.
“If repeated reminders and then warnings are ignored then we now have the ability to report the matter to the procurator fiscal. That hasn’t been required so far because what this new legislation shows is that the council now has teeth.”
Environment convener Craig Melville said: “We are continuing with the awareness-raising campaign in targeted areas and have also in specific cases issued warning letters.
“This has generally been successful in residents taking in their bins and so far has not escalated to any formal enforcement action.
“We are aware of areas with ongoing problems with bins being left out and will continue to address this issue via both the new legal powers available to the council and collection service type improvements.”
The new legislation was brought in to enable councils to crack down on householders and businesses who leave streets littered with bins. This is a particularly sensitive issue in parts of Dundee where there are a concentration of HMOs and student properties.