my business not yours

I live in South London and I like it here, however this morning I was woken by the sound of some one rifling my bin, had it been a down and out of some other unfortunate person I would not have been concerned but it was some woman in a high viz vest. I got dressed and went to confront her. This woman and four other people are going through the area snooping in bins and peoples gardens. I asked her what she was looking for and she refused (no pun intended) to tell me, she then asked how often I tended my garden so I said "As often as I liked" when she asked for specifics I got quite rude and told her to Foxtrot Oscar. Her male companion came up and asked me the same question I said to him to enter my house and have a look when he said "can I really " I said yes because as soon as you step into my house I will bash your f*^cking head as if you were a burglar" I dont know why but he walked away with the hump. What is this country coming to when even our own rubbish is not private. I can understand to some degree why the sleazy tabloids snoop through the bins of the rich and famous but why are our own councils now doing it. Its bad enough that you cant walk down the high street without being on camera but I really dont want my rubbish examined. If my council wants to know what I throw away, they can wait until friday when the dustmen come and leave half of it in the road. I think employing people to look through our bins is an offensive invasion of our rights and I dont intend to be quiet in my opposition to it. Its a complete waste of taxes. And as for my garden, well thats just it, its my garden not yours so sod off.