A SUFFOLK businessman has today paid a high price to show Ipswich taxpayers they are ruled by "Big Brother".Take away restaurant owner Bayram Karabulut was stung £574 at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court for rebelling against Ipswich Borough Council's refuse service.

A SUFFOLK businessman has today paid a high price to show Ipswich taxpayers they are ruled by "Big Brother".

Take away restaurant owner Bayram Karabulut was stung £574 at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court for rebelling against Ipswich Borough Council's refuse service.

After the court case Karabulut told The Evening Star: "The council is Big Brother, and the people will always lose.

"The main thing from today is the people will be aware of how the council works, and maybe it will make the council more careful in the future.

"If that happens, I will be proud of myself. The fine did not surprise me no matter how right the public is, they will always find us guilty."

The 32-year-old, of Foxhall Road, was found guilty by magistrates of fly tipping after the borough refused to empty his wheelie bin, and he emptied it on the pavement outside his house.

The court heard that new father Karabulut was unaware of the council's new bi-weekly collection programme, and became angry when his unusually full black bin was missed by refuse collectors.

He telephoned the council to tell them it was the third time his bin had been overlooked, and that he had lined his bags of rubbish up on the pavement next to his front wall for "immediate" collection.

The council's customer service team leader for Street Care, Glynis Wood, spoke to Karabulut on the phone, and advised him to return his rubbish to the black wheelie bin or a special collection would have to be made and he would be charged £48.96.

Mrs Wood told magistrates she explained to Karabulut that the kerbside collection scheme had changed, and that black bins containing household waste were collected every two weeks, alternating with the collection of blue and brown recycling bins.

She told him to put his black bin out again the following week and she would ensure that any extra bags of rubbish at the side of his bin would be collected as well.

Nigel Innes, defending Karabulut, said his client had a new baby at the time of the incident and there was a "nappy situation" going on in the bin, so it could not be left another week.

Mrs Woods even suggested that Karabulut take his rubbish to the landfill site in his own car if he could not wait.

Karabulut told the court: "I pay my council tax, so why should I be putting it in my car and taking it away? I said to the council I believe this is your responsibility to do it, I do not have any regrets what I did."

Ian Seeley, prosecuting, said Karabulut was billed for a special clearance van to pick up the bags a day later, and he refused to pay the bill despite being warned that the matter would go to court.

Following the magistrates' decision, Karabulut was fined £200, and ordered to pay £48.96 compensation to the council, and a further £325 towards court costs.

n. What do you think of Mr Karabulut's decision to make a stand? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk