The following is a press release from the district council

BEWARE OF BIN STAMP

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is warning residents of a possible scam or prankster targeting the Council’s new wheeled bin refuse and recycling service.

The District Council has been receiving reports from different parts of the District of finding an ‘official looking’ stamp on the inside lid of their new wheeled bins and each time residents have reported that if they receive three of these stamps they may be refused collection of their waste or worst still fined.

“The District Council is not issuing fines and is certainly not stamping bins. We have had several residents phone in to inform us about this and each with the same story: claiming that if they receive three stamps they will either not have their rubbish collected or will receive a fine. We have also had reports of a gentleman wearing a high visibility jacket getting out of a white van and lifting the lids of the bins. We are very keen to reassure residents over this and ask that the stamps are ignored. Any attempt to extract money from residents through fraudulent fines should be reported to the Police as this is nothing to do with the Council and we are not issuing fines; please continue to use the service as normal,” says Robert Weeks, Head of Environment So far the stamps have been reported in Stratford, Clifford Chambers, Quinton, Snitterfield, Dorsignton and Alcester. Any resident seeing their bins being tampered with should ring the Council hotline - 01789-260616. All District Council Officers and Refuse Operatives carry identification and will show it on request.

These stamps should not be confused with the District Council’s own official stickers which are stuck on the outside of the bin and have the Council’s telephone number on.

Press Office Press officer e-mail: Stratford-on-Avon District Council beverley.hemming@stratford-dc.gov.uk Elizabeth House, Church Street, beth.nicholson@stratford-dc.gov.uk Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HX Tel: 01789 260105/4 Fax: 01789 260244 www.stratford.gov.uk