Fines warning over wheelie bins in Dawdon
People living in part of east Durham are being warned they may be fined £110 for leaving wheelie bins out more than 12 hours after collections.
Leaflets are being distributed to people in the Dawdon area.
Durham County Council said it had been prompted to take action because of the cost of replacing hundreds of stolen bins in the area and the arson risk.
But some residents said many people led busy lives and might not be able to meet the 12-hour deadline.
Resident Robert Blair: "We have got people working 12 hours a day and then they go shopping and they might go for some entertainment and it's over 12 hours before they get back home.
"It's called life and dealing with something like this is absolutely ridiculous."
Council Street Scene area manager Keith Parkinson said they had distributed leaflets which urged people to take their bins in.
He said it was not enforceable until the council served section 46 notices and it would talk to people before resorting to fines.
He said: "I must stress we are not trying to be unreasonable with people and, yes, people do have different life balances.
"But what we have in areas like Dawdon, which is a small ex-colliery area with back yards and narrow streets, is people who will leave bins out all week.
"And there is no reason for that. And bins are getting stolen at an alarming rate."
He said it cost the council £200,000 a year to replace wheelie bins across County Durham and there was a significant arson risk from bins being left out.