They will also heighten fears that the country is drifting towards a "Big Brother is watching you" surveillance state.

In a further "Big Brother" development plain-clothes snoopers are being paid £30,000 a year to track down homeowners who put their rubbish out at the wrong time of the week or in the wrong place.

The "envirocrime" officers are employed to enforce environmental regulations and have the power to fine residents who "offend".

Ealing Council in West London is spending nearly £150,000 on recruiting and employing four new enforcement patrollers to add to its 23- strong team monitoring "waste disposal" regulations.