Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe LONDON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- British homeowners who overfill garbage cans could be punished more severely than shoplifters under proposed new standards, a member of Parliament said. The Fly-capture Enforcement manual, written by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, says fines for "waste receptacle" violations should be set anywhere from about $150 to $220, The Times of London reported Sunday. Advertisement Residents could be penalized for a variety of garbage offenses such as forgetting to put a lid on trash cans, putting a can out too early or leaving it in the wrong spot, the newspaper said. The Times said the suggested garbage fines can be more severe than the $160 penalties given out by law enforcement officers for public drunkenness or stealing. "It is fundamentally unfair that householders are now getting hammered with larger fines than shoplifters get for stealing," Conservative Party Member of Parliament Eric Pickles said.
