Man left with lidless wheelie bin for FIVE months wins stand-off with council

A man who claims his council told him to drill holes in the bottom of his bin to drain water from it after it was damaged by refuse workers has won a five month stand-off over replacing the bin. CCTV footage showed binmen returning Tim Spencer’s bin without a lid in May.

However, the council, he claims, refused to send him a free replacement and said that he would have to pay £25 to replace it himself as the bin men hadn’t reported damaging it and that the lid could have come off through wear and tear. The bin would even fill with rainwater due to the lack of a lid..

After five months of back-and-forth the 56-year-old, from Barming in Kent, refused to budge and he was finally delivered a free new green bin by Maidstone Borough Council. Tim claimed he had not received any email or notification that a new bin finally on its way.

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Tim said: “I was drinking a cup of tea and said to my wife ‘oh, there’s a chap outside and he’s unloading a green bin.’ I thought that must be the bin but we had received no notification or email. He just rocks up and dropped off a new bin, no notification at all."

He claims that the council worker reportedly told him: “I was here yesterday but you weren’t in.” But Tim said to him: “I didn’t know you were coming, it was news to me I was getting a replacement bin.

“’Your bosses at the council didn’t believe it’s broken.’ “He said, ‘well, it’s missing it’s lid and it’s off its hinges, so it’s broken.’’

The council worker carted off the old bin and the new one even had the number two painted on it for his address. Mr Spencer said he wouldn't be