Watch out for test thieves

We would urge homeowners and businesses to watch out for people going through their bins for used lateral flow tests.

Covid scammers are selling on both positive and negative tests for cold, hard cash.

First, there’s a trade in negative test results for people who want to use them to fool employers, venues that demand a negative test result, and phone apps that the person is clear of Covid.

They might also want to skip a period of selfisolation, with potentially devastating results.

These are people who have either tested positive, or simply don’t want to go through the bother of taking a test; whatever their motive, they want to mix with colleagues, friends and the general public without a thought for their welfare.

The second trade is in positive tests results, for those who fancy a bit of paid time off work.

Why anybody would fake having a potentially deadly disease after everything we’ve been through in the last two years is beyond us.

We’ve also had reports of refuse operators being approached by shady individuals asking to rifle through waste looking for used tests.

In some cases, they’ve been offered money for doing so.

And sometimes, they don’t even ask: commercial refuse collectors have found sacks of everyday office waste – usually ignored by four-legged vermin - torn apart to find lateral flow tests.

The rules are there for a reason, and trying to find a way around them could actually kill people. Is going down the pub with your mates really worth it?

Mark Hall, spokesman for Divert. co.uk, a fully licensed on-demand bulk waste removal and disposal service.