Razors up to fiver in eco tax bid

BRITONS are to be hit with a massive new range of swingeing "green" taxes . . . covering everything from family BARBECUES and PICNICS to even SHAVING.

Ministers want to levy so-called eco taxes on items from disposable razors to one-off barbecues, paper plates, plastic cups, food packaging and kitchen towels.

They want to set the taxes at the same high level as those imposed on petrol, booze and cigarettes-which would push up the price of a £1 pack of disposable RAZORS to a whopping £5.

A report by officials at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says: "Some products considered as luxuries, such as alcohol and tobacco, have heavy duties on them.

"If disposable products were categorised in a similar way then they could be subjected to similar duties." And the report also says families WILL be forced to pay a new "bin tax". People throw away an average of 360kgs of waste a year-but ministers want them to be taxed on everything above 200kgs.

Defra, who want the taxes included in the next Budget, say some people will never recycle enough unless they are faced with a big new rubbish bill.

And they warn a series of new taxes is the only way to hit strict EU targets on the amount of rubbish in landfill sites.

But the Taxpayers' Aliance say: "This is just a cynical attempt to grab more of people's hard-earned money."