LOCAL council bin police wearing head lamps are prowling neighbourhoods in the middle of the night to check whether residents are recycling.

At least one contractor hired by the City of Monash in Melbourne has been threatened with the sack after peering into rubbish bins by torchlight and spooking elderly homeowners at 1am.

It is understood several other councils pay bin cops to hunt down rogue recyclers.

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City of Monash spokeswoman Jodie Harrison confirmed a "rubbish auditor" had been warned to switch to more reasonable hours after "freaking out" residents.

Disturbed householders have discovered bin police kitted out with miners' hats and and inspecting garbage bins that are left by footpaths for collection.

Dozens of recycling and green waste bins are checked three times a week.

Residents flouting the rules have warning stickers placed on their bins and risk being slapped with a garbage collection ban.

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