'Negligent' Nats could face £160m bottle scheme bill

Biffa accuses minister of hiding risks

- NICK FORBES

THE now-collapsed deposit return scheme was "negligently misrepresented" to a waste management company to persuade it to sign up, a court has heard.

Waste disposal company Biffa is suing the Scottish Government for a sum in the region of £160million, following the decision to scrap the proposed deposit return scheme (DRS).

The firm, which was selected as the scheme's "logistics partner", said it invested "significant sums" in preparation of the project before it was scrapped.

The DRS, which was intended to come into force on August 16 last year, would have seen shoppers charged a deposit when buying drinks in cans and bottles, which would be repaid when empty containers were returned.