1.5m trolleys dumped by supermarket thieves a year

MORE than 1.5million stolen supermarket trolleys are being dumped a year, according to a report.

The Local Government Association has warned that supermarkets need to do more to stop trolley thefts, as the ‘country is becoming blighted with abandoned carts’. They added that many end up in rivers and canals, causing flooding and blockages.

Possible measures include more bollards and security gates, and increased use of CCTV and wheel-locking devices which activate when trolleys are taken beyond supermarket perimeters.

The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, added that it is councils who are having to pick up the ‘major clear-up bill’ for trolley removal. They said that although councils can try and claim the costs for removal and disposal from trolley owners, it is a time-consuming and bureaucratic process.

Its report comes as Government figures last week revealed flytipping has increased for the second year running, with the clear-up cost now nearly £50million. The LGA previously said the cost of removing dumped trolleys forms part of the £10billion in cost pressures councils will face by 2020.

An LGA spokesman said: ‘Supermarkets need to slam the brakes on trolley thefts because the country is becoming blighted with abandoned carts.’