Sadly, but predictably, the first theft of a council green waste bin sticker has been reported in the Canterbury area. Hopefully this was a ‘one off’, but given the ease with which the stickers can be removed, it may not be the last.
These stickers are part of Canterbury City Council’s new garden waste charging scheme, and are used to identify which householders have signed up and paid for the scheme. The stolen sticker can be used by the thief or by others to have their green waste collected by the council without paying the £45 annual charge.
Although there is not much that can be done to prevent the removal of the stickers, Neighbourhood Watch have suggested some precautions that can be taken.
These include not leaving the bin out overnight if possible. Canterbury City Council advise putting them out for collection by 07.00am on the day of collection. At other times they should be securely stored away from the street or the road.
The sticker can be indelibly marked with your address as a deterrent.
Mark the bin by painting on it your house number or have some other defining mark to deter the theft or removal of the whole bin.
Take a photo of the sticker on the bin and keep a note of the reference number on the sticker.
If you have CCTV, keep the bin in shot if it has to be left out for long periods. This will deter those who might take it. It should also provide evidence if the worst should happen.
Posted by Michael Dixey
Michael has been a city councillor since 1987 and is the leader of the Lib Dem Group on the City Council. He was a major force in the campaign to stop the building of the disastrous multi-storey car park in Station Road West. He has been particularly critical of the council’s lack of financial management which has resulted in the quadrupling of the council’s borrowings to £172 million over the four years prior to the COVID-19 outbreak which will cause huge additional pressure on civic finances.
See all posts by Michael