Residents must pay for arson bins
RESIDENTS have to pay to replace their rubbish bins after they were deliberately set on fire.
A number of bins were destroyed during the early hours on one street in Cardiff, leaving only charred marks on the pavement.
After fire crews extinguished the blaze, residents contacted Cardiff council to order replacements but were told they would have to pay the costs themselves.
Residents on Park Avenue, Whitchurch, said they woke to find a number of their black and green bins in flames on Friday, October 11.
Sonia Brennan said the street was woken up by “flashing lights” as the emergency services arrived on scene at about 6am.
Ms Brennan, 83, said: “We had eight bins set on fire in the middle of the night, now the council insist that the cost is paid by us. That’s not fair is it? I don’t think that it is right. They want us to pay £25 for each bin. It’s not the cost of it, it’s the principle.”
Ms Brennan, who has lived on the street for 24 years, said the damage on the pavement could still be seen days later.
Cardiff council confirmed that if a bin is damaged, stolen or lost then the cost of a replacement falls to the homeowner or tenant.
South Wales Police said the bins were “completely destroyed” and the fire service said it believes the blaze was deliberate.
A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said they were called to reports of bin fires at about 6.18am on October 11.
A crew from Whitchurch attended the scene and extinguishing the fires, before leaving at about 6.50am.
The spokeswoman added: “Our supposed cause was deliberate.”
Police said they have carried out enquiries in the area but the person responsible has not been identified.
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “If the council damages a wheeled bin when collecting waste, we will replace the bin free of charge. If the bin is vandalised, lost or stolen, then the cost of the replacement rests on the house owner or tenant. The cost of the replacement includes the bin itself and the delivery to the property.”