Wheelie bin man crushed to death

Police believe Scott Williams was trying to shelter from the rain

A man who is thought to have climbed into a bin before being crushed to death in a dust cart has been identified as a 35-year-old Londoner.

Sussex Police said Scott Williams, from Wembley, had been reported missing an hour after his body was found at Sussex Waste Recycling Ltd in Newhaven.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had been crushed to death.

The dust cart, where Mr Williams' body was found, had been collecting bins in Brighton.

A worker sifting through bin bags made the discovery on Monday morning.

'Tragic incident'

Police believe Mr Williams, who had been out with a friend and was seen in public houses in Brighton until 0100 BST on Sunday, had been in one of the large wheelie bin used by blocks of flats or businesses.

Officers are investigating how he came to be there and are treating his death as unexplained rather than suspicious.

The GMB union has called for large wheelie bins to be checked individually before they are emptied into refuse lorries.

Spokesman Robert Macey said the way they were currently collected in Brighton meant people could get trapped inside before being loaded on a cart.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "This is a tragic incident. The council has warned people not to get into our bins and have put stickers on the 700 street bins.

"We are also putting them on the other 1,000 bins we have in bin stores to remind everyone of the dangers.

"In addition we have worked with groups across the city to raise the issue with vulnerable people. We really hope the message gets across so that this isn't repeated."