Wheelie warning after arson attacks

9:02am Friday 11th January 2013 in Local

WARNING stickers are to be put on bins in Horwich in a bid to combat a wave of arson attacks in the area.

Bolton Council and the fire service are urging residents to make sure their bins are not left out for long periods before or after collection times.

The warning comes after four bins were set on fire by arsonists near Chorley Old Road on Friday, January 4 — one of which spread to a resident’s garden.

Firefighters from Horwich have responded to the attacks by putting stickers on wheelie bins near Chorley Road to encourage residents to put their bins out of reach from would-be arsonists.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: “Incidents such as these bring into clear focus how important it is to make sure that bins are not left out before collection days, and are brought in on the collection day, as soon as possible after they have been emptied.

“Bin fires are very dangerous and we work with the fire service and police to counter these problem. We are responding to this incident by conducting a bin sticker and leaflet drop in the area.

“Residents should make sure that bins are secure when empty and not overfilled or left with loose rubbish around the bin.

“We would also advise people not to store bins close to doors or windows, as any fire in the bin could easily spread to your property, and, if possible, to store wheelie bins securely behind locked gates.”

One bin was set alight in Tredgold Street, off Chorley New Road, at 11.17pm on Friday.

Minutes later, at 11.42pm, firefighters were called to nearby Hawksley Street where three bins were on fire and spread to a fence.

A campaign was launched in Bolton in a bid to cut wheelie bin fires after the death of Hameeda Begum, aged 71, and her granddaughter, Alana Mian, aged four.

Fire spread to their house in Little Holme Walk, Great Lever, when a wheelie bin was set alight outside their front door.

Watch Manager Craig Lunt at Horwich Fire Station said: “The stickers are there to remind people to take their bins in after collections. Not only can bin fires prevent us from attending other serious incidents quickly, they can result in house fires and a loss of life.”

Each bin fire attended by the fire service costs taxpayers £1900.

One resident from Tedgold Street, aged 63, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I think the stickers are a good idea because some residents never take their bins in. I suppose it depends on the space you have to keep them. If you live in a flat there probably isn’t much space for them.

“I think people set bins on fire when they’ve been out and got drunk. The ones on our road were set on fire on a Friday night when the collections were altered.”

For a free home fire risk assessment, call: 0800 555 815.

Comments(17)

angus macoatup says...
9:38am Fri 11 Jan 13

arson used to be a serious crime .now most don't even get custodial sentences its time the courts made an example of these people instead of stickers on a bin . ooooh makes one mad

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oftbewildered2 says...
9:45am Fri 11 Jan 13

looking at the housing stock in Bolton - and the large number of terraced houses, how do they expect people to store two, three or four bins in their back yards without getting them near the house? Not only old housing stock either, but more modern housing is often small with not much of a back yard. Time someone carried out an audit

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Rememberscarborough says...
10:40am Fri 11 Jan 13

So not even the death of a four year old child makes us take this seriously and we have the nerve to criticise the Americans over their guns laws? How many more have to die before these lunatics are treated as the murderers they should be?

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Harry-Joe says...
12:48pm Fri 11 Jan 13

How much is it costing tax payers for the stickers and leaflets?
Unfortunately there are people who are idiots and set fire to bins just like there are people that steal from cars and houses. People learnt to lock doors to prevent thieves, they should learn to bring their bins in.
How about not using stickers and just fine the household, who's bins are left out and set alight, enough to cover the cost of the fire service? Why should people who actually take their bins in and out have to pay for people that can't be bothered.
Lets not forget the Fire bugs as these idiots are to blame, they should also be fined to cover the cost of their crimes as well as charged with attempted murder because lets face it, that is the only thing you are attempting to do when setting a bin on fire next to someones house or door.
As for space, most people have space for them in their yards or gardens. Not having space and not wanting 3 or 4 bins in your yard are completely different.

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zoomzam says...
12:57pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Residents should be able to confront and beat these arsonists up. About time too Its only a matter of time before a big tragedy occurs because of this. Vigilantes are need to patrol and apprehend these potential murderers.

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underwater says...
1:33pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Stickers are another complete waste of money, if people leave there bins out and some idiot sets fire to them its bad news , but the resident must be made to pay the bill for the Fire service . People are just to bone idle to move the bins .

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zoomzam says...
3:00pm Fri 11 Jan 13

underwater wrote:
Stickers are another complete waste of money, if people leave there bins out and some idiot sets fire to them its bad news , but the resident must be made to pay the bill for the Fire service . People are just to bone idle to move the bins .
Where the heck do people put up to 5 bins that are being supplied by the Council??

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underwater says...
6:36pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Most people do not need 5 bins , cut out the rubbish. Bet you can all find room to park your precious cars.Lazy!.

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boltonnut says...
7:05pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Perhaps in this technological era we should go back to midins,no problems back then.

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Beyond News Forum says...
7:23pm Fri 11 Jan 13

STFU this is soley the responsibility of the council. This type of attack was always on the cards.

Stupid council passing the buck again... does anybody actually remember the days when bins were collected from gardens?

No this is directly because of the health and safety gone nuts culture of the council.

WTF are stickers going to do? It is just another but of paper to burn.

I still ask the question I have asked before... AND WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO PUT BINS OUT EARLY BECAUSE OF SHIFT WORK?

It's all b*llocks people, stop letting the council get away with passing the buck. IT IS THEIR FAULT ENTIRELY!!!

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glovebox1 says...
7:24pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I have 3 bins which I HAVE to leave at the front of my property, on my drive next to my car, because the house I live in does not have access to the back from the front. This is due to a garage being built before I bought this house. Fortunately I do not live in Great Lever or Horwich where this crime is generally committed. We do have to have 3 or 4 bins to abide by the recycling rules of the Council.

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Beyond News Forum says...
7:29pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Oh yes...just to add, yes people should be able to put the bins outside their own gardens without some low life skuzzer setting it on fire... but these are the signs of things to come people. It is only going to get worse as the degenerate generation of uneducated children without any care for authority or the consequences of their actions carry on running riot in our neighborhoods because they are simply above the law and seem to think they can do whatever they please.

But yes I still pin this back on council policy and health and safety gone mad.

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mintshaker says...
9:19pm Fri 11 Jan 13

My bins are emptied AFTER I leave my house at 8.30 to go to work all day, how can I bring my bins in any earlier than tea time when I get home? And then I have to walk down to my neighbours frontage where my bin has been left, or move the bin when it has been left across my driveway?

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Count de Monet says...
10:57pm Fri 11 Jan 13

glovebox1 wrote:
I have 3 bins which I HAVE to leave at the front of my property, on my drive next to my car, because the house I live in does not have access to the back from the front. This is due to a garage being built before I bought this house. Fortunately I do not live in Great Lever or Horwich where this crime is generally committed. We do have to have 3 or 4 bins to abide by the recycling rules of the Council.
It is not compulsory to have 3 or 4 bins. I have a grey bin, green bin & a green box. I don't want to have 4 bins as they would take up too much room.

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Harry-Joe says...
8:56am Mon 14 Jan 13

zoomzam wrote:
underwater wrote:
Stickers are another complete waste of money, if people leave there bins out and some idiot sets fire to them its bad news , but the resident must be made to pay the bill for the Fire service . People are just to bone idle to move the bins .
Where the heck do people put up to 5 bins that are being supplied by the Council??
5 bins?

Grey, burgundy, cream & Green? Is there another?

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Harry-Joe says...
8:56am Mon 14 Jan 13

The council say don't leave them out over night. They say nothing about leaving them out all day whilst your at work. Come on people read.

'A Bolton Council spokesman said: “Incidents such as these bring into clear focus how important it is to make sure that bins are not left out before collection days, and are brought in on the collection day, as soon as possible after they have been emptied.'

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Harry-Joe says...
9:01am Mon 14 Jan 13

glovebox1 wrote:
I have 3 bins which I HAVE to leave at the front of my property, on my drive next to my car, because the house I live in does not have access to the back from the front. This is due to a garage being built before I bought this house. Fortunately I do not live in Great Lever or Horwich where this crime is generally committed. We do have to have 3 or 4 bins to abide by the recycling rules of the Council.
Put them in your garage?
Surely you would rather make space in your garage for them than run the risk of having your house burnt down with the possibility of you and your family being home and in danger.
Unfortunately Idiotic people exist and do stupid things like setting fire to peoples bins, so best to protect yourself from it.

It does sound like kids/teenager, which makes you wonder what 'wrong & right' parents are teaching these kids.

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