IN his letter to the Bury Times (October 26) Councillor John Byrne writes: "The chips fitted to Bury's blue bins cannot weigh the bin, smell it or video it - in fact they can only record the address of the bin".

So if we are to believe the town hall's New Labour spin, the only reason this chip was installed was so the bins didn't get confused as to where they live. Rubbish! No pun intended.

Through the letters page, may I ask Coun Byrne: Are these Blue Bin RFID Radio Frequency Identifier Bugs/Chips ROM (Read only Memory) or Read Write?

Of course, if they are just a ROM bug/chip, then it really does seem unbelievable that the town hall would go to all the time and trouble and expense to make sure the ratepayers of Bury get their very own blue bins back just so house and bin are a perfect match.

I am sure that in this PC borough this could be seen as colour discrimination by the grey and brown bins, because the blue bin has greater welfare facilities than the other two. Maybe they could both get legal aid and spend even more taxpayer's money.

My own opinion is that these RFID bugs/Chips are Read Write and most likely at a later date will be programmed by an electronic induction process onboard the collection vehicle.

The loading of any new program to the bug could take place in milliseconds and in situ, as each individual wheelie bin is being emptied, and yet again without informing the citizens of this town.

The most likely program information the bug/chip can handle is the full and empty weights of the bin, with, of course, the household address, so invoices can be sent out.

Unless, of course, the powers-that-be are going to equip the binmen with bumbags and loose change for a pay-on-the-day scheme.

GLENN GIBBS Lowercroft Bury