IT was always too good to last. The council would collect your green waste every couple of weeks, for free. It was seen as an important way of increasing recycling and composting rates.

But now the city council has decided to start charging and replace the green sacks with another wheelie bin.

Councillors point out that Winchester is the last authority in the area to retain a free service and its new charges will not be the most expensive.

But following the herd is not always a good idea. Just ask those thousands of short-sighted lemmings as they scamper towards the cliff edge.

There will certainly be repercussions. One is undoubtedly an increase in fly tipping. Green waste might be better than old fridges and wardrobes but it is still an eyesore and expensive for the landowner to remove. It is also hard to argue with the view that there will be a big increase in bonfires. Those of a certain age will remember the time when it seemed every back garden had a bonfire going, sometimes nurtured for days. The health risks are better known now but for hard-up people a bonfire is better than another tax.