Community safety team in bin arson clampdown

Published Thursday, 21st March 2019

Residents of Hartlepool are being urged to support community safety staff in their drive to combat arson involving wheelie bins.

Staff from Hartlepool Borough Council, Cleveland Fire Brigade and Cleveland Police - operating under the umbrella of the Hartlepool Community Safety Team - have been working in the Manor House Ward as part of national Arson Awareness Week.

They have been calling at homes in the Owton Manor area to attach fire safety stickers to bins and deliver leaflets explaining how householders can prevent their bins from becoming a target for arson.

One of the anti-arson bin stickers

The initiative comes in the light of statistics showing there were almost 250 wheelie bin fires across the Cleveland Fire Brigade area in 2018.

Councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee and a Manor House Ward councillor, said: “We would encourage residents to store all bins away securely to avoid them becoming targets. Fires involving rubbish and bins can easily spread to your home, putting you and your family at risk.”

Steve Johnson, Cleveland Fire Brigade Area Manager, said: “Arson is a crime and causes untold damage within communities. It diverts resources away from where they are most needed. For the brigade this could be in terms of being unable to attend more serious emergencies where lives may be at risk.

Replacing bins damaged or destroyed in deliberate fires requires the Council to spend money which could be used in other ways, so residents are being asked to observe the following advice to reduce the risk of arson:

  • Do not leave your bin in the street, particularly overnight.
  • Bring your bin back onto your property as soon as possible after it has been emptied.
  • Try leaving it until the last minute before putting your bin out for collection (before 7.30am on the day of collection). If you do need to put your bin out the night before then, again, please leave it as late as possible.
  • Always keep your bin in a secure place when it is not out for collection, for example, at the back of your house or behind a locked gate (Always make sure your bin isn’t stored in a way that it can be used as leverage to gain access to your house).
  • Mark your bin with your house number.
  • Never put hot ash in your bin.

Householders experiencing problems with their bins can call the Council on (01429) 523333.