Wheelie bins plea to householders

One council wheelie bin was spotted in Bulgaria

Householders in Peterborough have been warned to look after their wheelie bins after the city spent £75,450 replacing them last year.

More than 2,500 wheelie bins went missing from the streets in 2006.

One green recycling bin was even spotted near the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.

"This is the most outrageous example of theft of a wheeled bin we have come across," said city services director Mike Heath.

He said: "We have distributed close to 200,000 black, green and brown wheeled bins to local homes and these bins remain council property."

"The city council and, ultimately, council tax payers have spent a considerable amount to date on replacing stolen and damaged bins.

"Many householders simply leave their bins in the street, making no attempt to secure them while assuming that the council will simply replace any that are stolen or damaged."

Over the past year 2,515 bins have had to be replaced at a cost of £30 per bin, including delivery costs.