BARGAIN hunters will no longer be able to pick up secondhand bargains from Portishead and Backwell tips - because of new health and safety rules

BARGAIN hunters will no longer be able to pick up secondhand bargains from Portishead and Backwell tips - because of new health and safety rules.In the past, staff at the civic amenity sites sorted good quality items brought for dumping and stored them in special containers for people to buy.It is understood that workers at the sites kept the money raised from any sale of the second hand goods. But now North Somerset Council has decided it can no longer allow staff to sell the items, as they cannot guarantee their quality.North Somerset Council spokesman Nick Yates confirmed: "We are unable to guarantee the quality of any items retrieved and then sold, so we no longer allow this practice."But the news has been greeted with anger by local people, who say they have had many good quality items from the tips.One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "This is health and safety gone mad."There are many people on a limited income, some of who can't afford to buy things new, who get good quality items from these stores at the civic amenity site."I have had chairs and tables, bookcases and mirrors from the tip, all of which were of good quality."Just because someone else doesn't want them, doesn't mean they are rubbish."At a time when the focus is on recycling, deciding to throw everything into landfill, rather than let someone else make good use of it just seems ridiculous."* What do you think? Is it a good idea to stop secondhand items being sold at the civic amenity sites or is it health and safety gone mad? Have you snapped up a bargain at the tip? Write and let us know at Mailbox, North Somerset Times, 32 Waterloo Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1LW. You can also e-mail us at nstimes@archant.co.uk