Bin theft victims forced to replace bins

May 14 2009 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON dad-of-two is outraged at being landed with a bill after his wheelie bin was stolen by local youths.

Thomas Wynne (43), of Striven Terrace in Little Earnock, has slammed South Lanarkshire Council who told him he must pay £45 to replace his black rubbish bin.

A fortnight ago, teenagers stole the bin and burned it in the woodland area just off the nearby Sherry Drive, a problem that Thomas claims many local residents have experienced in recent months.

“There seems to be a spate of it happening across the area, according to the council. The kids seem to be taking the bins down the woodland area on Sherry Drive,” said Thomas.

He added: “A family up the street had a similar problem, when the man went out and confronted a crowd of boys who were trying to take the bin.

“It’s just young boys misbehaving, which happens all the time, but the council’s attitude is what annoys us.

“What the council are telling us now is that, because they get government funding for the blue recycling bin, they will replace that free-of-charge. But the black one has to be paid for, a standard charge of £45, even if you’ve reported its theft to the police.”

While Thomas - who lives with wife Karen (44) and children Ciaran (10) and Katie (7) - says the police handled his case well, he was irked by the council policy.

“We already pay through the nose for everything else. I mean, what am I meant to do to make a wheelie bin safer - take it into my house?

“I think £45 for a bin, considering we pay council tax and all the other community charges, is a bit much. It seems like an easy money-maker for them.”

A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said: “It has always been the responsibility of the householder to replace the general domestic waste wheeled bin if it is damaged or stolen.”

She added: “To encourage recycling, the blue recycling bins are replaced free-of-charge to the householder.”

A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said: “Where possible, residents should try to secure their wheelie bins, possibly to a garage, using a padlock.

“We would advise householders to bring out their bins on the day of collection as opposed to the night before, when the darkness hours gives thieves the opportunity to steal them.”

The spokesman added: “If a wheelie bin is stolen, then residents can contact the police in the usual way.

“Unfortunately this type of crime is sporadic, but we would urge people to remain vigilant.”