Albert Stewart, a 60 year old refuse removal worker from Lancashire, has lost his job because bosses say he took too much rubbish away from householders. Mr Stewart, who had worked on the Aughton round for 33 years, often took extra bags away which home owners had left beside their wheelie bins. According to the West Lancashire Borough Coucil, the leaving of extra refuse in this way breached the rules and offenders can be fined up to £1000.

Mr Stewart knew many of the householders as he had worked the round for so long. He described some of them as his ‘friends’. However, his employers said he was assisting the offenders breach the strict refuse rules and therefore was breaching his own rules of employment.