Why pay-as-you-throw bin taxes will encourage cancer-causing bonfires

Pay-as-you-throw bin taxes will endanger public health as families dodge the charges by burning rubbish in their gardens, a secret government report has warned.

Research predicted a rise in cancer-causing pollution from illicit bonfires of non-recyclable waste, burned to avoid fines.

Making people pay for collections would lead to more 'backyard burning', which releases carcinogenic dioxins and other harmful toxins into the air, the study found.

Ministers were accused of suppressing the report, commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to smooth the way for bin taxes.

The two-year-old study was released following pressure from the Tories.

It came as ministers formulated plans to let councils impose bin taxes that could see middle-class homes pay an extra £100 a year to have bins emptied.

The report, by Dr Mark Broomfield of independent environmental firm Enviros Consulting, warned burning domestic waste was 'likely to be the most significant source' of dioxins in the atmosphere.

Dioxins also linger in ashes, endangering children and pets.

The main problem was caused by households burning nonrecyclable rubbish containing plastic such as food packaging, toys, clothing, shoes and electrical goods.

It added: 'If household waste collection is charged by mass or volume rather than as a component of council tax, this could increase the incentive to burn waste to reduce the amount requiring collection.

'There would be a clear financial incentive to reduce the amount of waste by combustion.'

The report urged ministers to prosecute households lighting fires.

Tory local government spokesman Eric Pickles said: 'There is now proof that bin taxes should carry a Government health warning.

'Ministers suppressed their own research and conspired to cover up the serious threat to public health.

'Labour's toxic taxes pose a danger to the environment but Gordon Brown is just interested in raking in money from families.'

In Ireland, where similar taxes were introduced, the Environmental Protection Agency says ' environmental' levies led to huge rises in domestic waste burning.

Forty-two per cent of homes in West Cork burn rubbish and 73 per cent of dioxins in the air in Ireland come from unregulated bonfires.

Ministers are pressing ahead with plans to give the power to raise and collect taxes on household rubbish to unelected quangos.

Trials of pay-as-you-throw taxes will start next year, with bills of up to £50 a year for not recycling enough.