A PAIR of pensioners, armed with a drill and screws, are beating the bins thieves who have menaced their estate.
Residents on Gleneagles Court, Beechwood, were so fed up with having their wheelie bins set alight neighbours Bob Donoghue, 80, and Fred Pearce, 69, decided to take action.
They have drilled holes in the walls of all 25 houses and chained and locked up the bins.
The bins have not been stolen since the pair took the action six months ago.
Mr Donoghue said: “We chained them up and we’ve never had any trouble since then.
“They were taking the bins onto the path and burning them.
“I was lucky we didn’t have ours taken but other people did and I felt sorry for them.
“We drilled a hole in the wall and screwed in the lock and fixed a chain onto the lock and we have keys.�
Councillor Joan McTigue has claimed about 600 bins have gone missing from the Beechwood ward in the last year.
She added after seeing the success of Mr Donoghue’s actions she suggested the idea to council but says she was twice refused.
But Erimus Housing has since introduced a similar scheme in Hemlington, locking wheelie bins to fixed metal posts.
The scheme has been introduced in partnership between Erimus Housing, Cleveland Fire Brigade, Safer Middlesbrough Partnership and Middlesbrough Council’s Environmental Services.
Cllr McTigue said: “Eighteen months ago we were getting a lot of wheelie bins torched and we were desperate to find a way to stop it.
“They were being taken onto the green space behind Beechwood playing fields.
“About 600 bins went missing, I know not all of them are being stolen, and they cost £25 each.
“I am going to put this suggestion to the council again to stop it happening.�
A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: “We always give advice on the best way to keep wheelie bins safe and people should make sure they are on the premises and only put out on the day the bin men come.
“Hemlington is a small scale pilot of 100 houses where we are putting in washing-line style posts and chain the bin to that. We are seeing how that works before going any further, but that won’t necessarily work in every situation.�
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