A team of 10 local authority snoops was sent out to sift through the wheelie bins of 400 unsuspecting households for a “waste audit”.

Some black bins stuffed with rotting food, plastic wrappers and cans were taken away for further examination.

But yesterday Labour-run Lancashire County Council was accused of a “gross invasion of privacy and a waste of taxpayers’ money”.

Julie Botham, 43, of Burnley – one of the towns targeted by the council snoops – said: “It’s unbelievable that council inspectors are resorting to SAS tactics simply to see what kind of rubbish we are throwing out.

“We’re hardly public enemy number one, yet they way they are snooping around us makes us feel we are like wanted terrorists.”