Crackdown called for boy racer stealing rubbish bins

Crackdown called for boy racer stealing rubbish bins

18 June 2014

TECONNAUGHT residents have expressed alarm at young drivers running amok in the area, leaving a trail of debris in their wake.

People who live at the Drumnaconagher and Teconnaught roads say they are fed up with young drivers attaching wheelie bins to towbars on their cars and driving off at speed.

The rubbish falls out of the bins and lies along the side of the road, while the bins are damaged when they eventually fall off the towbar leaving residents to pick up the bill.

The issue, which has been ongoing for over a year, has left residents frustrated and angry. The most recent incident occurring late last Thursday.

Teconnaught Road resident, Mary Brennan, described the continuing episodes of bins being towed away as an “absolute and utter nightmare,” one she said which Down Council is having to throw additional resources at.

“Many of us are reluctant to leave our bins out at night but the problem is the binmen sometimes change the time they normally come at in the morning. If they come first thing, people don’t have their bins out and they are not collected,” she explained.

“Bins are being damaged and it’s the residents who end up having to pay to have them repaired. This is not fair. The bins are not being damaged by us but by those who quite frankly should know better. This has gone beyond a joke.”

Mrs. Brennan described the Drumnaconagher and Teconnaught roads as “quiet areas” voicing concern about the picture rubbish strewn across the area paints to passers-by.

She added: “We would appeal to the young people getting a kick out of towing bins away to stop. Police have been notified and will be keeping an eye on the area.”

Peter Mayne, who has had his bin towed away several times, revealed binmen informed him that what’s happening in the Teconnaught area is not uncommon in Down District, while Michael Kinsella, who recently moved to the Teconnaught Road, had his bin towed away recently and the contents deposited along the verge. He also hopes those responsible will stop.

Councillor Terry Andrews, who last week met some of the concerned residents, said he cannot understand the mentality of those responsible.

“It beggars belief that there are those who would drive to this part of the district late at night to hook up a wheelie bin to a towbar and then drive off,” he said.

“The waste that’s subsequently deposited along the side of the road has to be collected which ultimately hits ratepayers in the pocket. If, as I suspect, the people responsible for this mindless behaviour are local, their parents will end up having to pay for their senseless behaviour.”