Two Golders Green households face becoming the first in the country to be fined for not recycling.

Barnet Council said this week that letters had been dispatched to the addresses, warning that unless the homeowners started to put rubbish into their black boxes they would be hauled before a magistrate and fined up to £1,000.

The council is the first authority in the country to use Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 against residents who have failed to recycle.

The compulsory recycling scheme was launched across the borough in March 2005, and out of the 113,000 houses in Barnet, only one individual had so far received a warning but no-one has yet to be fined.

The council will now be gathering evidence against the two homes over the next six weeks by monitoring the residents' recycling patterns and preparing a case to take to court.

Councillor Matthew Offord, the cabinet member for environment, said: "Despite numerous letters and a personal visit from council officers, it is disappointing that these people are still not bothering to recycle.

"The vast majority of residents understand the importance of recycling, and together are recycling more than 27 per cent of their waste.

"There's no excuse not to take part we've made it possible for everyone to recycle in Barnet, with our free weekly doorstep collections from every house in the borough.

"We would, of course, rather see people recycle than take them to court but I have always maintained that we will take action as a last resort."

A similar scheme has also been set up in Hackney and another is set to be introduced in Bromley.