Forum Topic

Raiding black bin bags

Thursday bin bag day :Just seen two women opening up bin bags sorting through and putting their bounty into shopping bags.Leaving bags open only.They only open some bags wonder how they choose.The third world is now around us.

John McNamara ● 4773d28 Comments

What street was this? I have seen similar behaviour in Cumberland Park, but not for some time.

Sarah Allan ● 4772d

ID theft perhaps?

Jake Woodward ● 4772d

St Dunstans Avenue.

John McNamara ● 4772d

John, was this last night or this morning?The collection is quite late on St Dunstan's so I never put mine out till the morning, thus denying a meal to the foxes

Kim Rugg ● 4772d

It was at 10:30 you could see where they had looked by the bags that were left open.

John McNamara ● 4772d

They look like Romanians - there are two of them, both women.  They were observed opening and moving items out of black bags put out on the pavement by residents - into their own bags, which they had on trolleys.Suggestion:  If you don't want your bags raided, keep them on your frontage - where they should be kept, and not blocking the pavement, which is dangerous for the blind and disabled.  If they come on to your frontage they are trespassing and should be reported to the local Community Police.

dee cook ● 4772d

Agreed, they were going through my neighbour's bags which had been left on the street but ignored mine which were on my property.

Nigel Ryan ● 4771d

Bring on the enforcement.

Philippa Bond ● 4771d

What exactly were they taking?  Paperwork or old banana skins?  Makes a huge difference to why they're doing it. Has anyone told them not to do it?  I certainly will if I see it happening.

Sarah Harris ● 4771d

We had a small discussion about this a couple of weeks ago when I said that my hubby had seen (late at night before rubbish collection in the morning), a man on one side of the road with a suitcase and a woman on the other side with a pushchair, going through black bags......Yes, he shouted at them and they moved off but last Thursday morning, he again saw 4 women with pushchairs stacked high with black bags that they had taken from the street prior to collection.How long will it be before they become brazen enough to walk up our front paths to do the same ??This occurence now seems to be an organised activity....

Ellie Rose ● 4771d

A couple of years ago two were going up each side of the street and going into peoples property. I challenged one who said she was looking for something! I believe they were looking for items they could sell.

Bob Crossley ● 4771d

They looked like gypsy types to me - they were taking items that were saleable, which is what they do to make a living.The local community police should be checking to see if they are illegal immigrants and deal with them according.Have they been reported?

dee cook ● 4771d

Sorry to be a dissenting voice but is it illegal to look through black bin bags?  My only objection would be to not tying them up again.  I don't put documents in my bin that could lead to ID theft ( I would suggest that no one should) and I have no problem with someone retrieving and selling on saleable items if it helps them out.

Sandra Jordan ● 4769d

It's not illegal to look through bin bags, but it is illegal to take something from them.  Rubbish belongs to the homeowner until the council collect the bins.  Even if it's rubbish and is outside your property boundary it's still "your" rubbish.If these people are opening your bags, taking what they want and leaving a mess behind, the council can fine you for it. 

Sarah Harris ● 4769d

Am I right to assume that it would also apply if a fox ripped open a  bin bag ans scattered the contents over the pavement.(the fine would apply)

Kim Rugg ● 4768d

If the bag is placed on the public highway and vermin tear it open you can still be fined.Shouldn't residents not be putting food in the black bag waste, but in their green food waste bins?

Dee Cook ● 4768d

Whenever there is a black bag split open in the street it is because someone has failed to use the food waste system that the Council supplies.I've been woken up at 3am by a fox dragging a bag into the centre of the road to empty it under the light of a streetlamp and scavenge from it with a better chance of getaway and lesser chance of anyone creeping up on him/her.I'm amazed at the amount of food some people seem to be able to afford to waste!

Philippa Bond ● 4768d

Yes there is a whole discussion to be had on poor recycling. On the other hand maybe or rubbish pickers select the homes where recycling is being done more rigorously as it must be nicer to pick through a bag which is not full of rotting food.

Kim Rugg ● 4768d

Or is it exactly the other way around?  It isn't happening to me so I can't tell - I put out recycling each week but very rarely a black sack.  I would have thought though that they would choose houses that put out plenty of black sacks.I know that sacks of clothing are often picked up by people other than those whose bags you've filled and clothing put out in the green box is often sifted through.  I just give it direct to a charity shop nowadays to avoid this as it also avoids stuff being spread around and left out of the bags on the pavement.

Philippa Bond ● 4762d

I have stopped filling charities bags since we left one on wall to be collected and a man passing by took my wife's blouse out of it, which is bad enough, but then he through the empty bag on the ground. I am still smarting at the arrogance a year later.

Bob Crossley ● 4762d

I believe a lot of charities have seen donations of clothing drop significantly since people fill those plastic bags. Not all of those bags are for genuine charities. Some are destined to be sold in markets in developing countries. Some simply get nicked.If you really want to be sure your donations go to charities, it is safer to take them to the shops.

Kim Rugg ● 4762d

Agree with you Kim - I recycle all charity plastic bags put through my letter box and never contribute that way now. The other aspect is certain major charities have apparently outsourced this activity (given the challenge of running charity shops) and now simply get a commission from the outsourcer. My family veers towards now donating to local charities (e.g. various homeless charities in Ealing and Acton) who we see as being much better at ensuring such clothes get to needy cases and are not stolen or taken by not always such deserving cases.

Joe Conneely ● 4761d

But don't waste these free bags ... they come in handy for other uses.Isn't there a charity stall in Acton Market on a Saturday that you could donate unwanted to?

Dee Cook ● 4761d

There is a secure recycling bin for clothes and shoes on the left as you drive into Morrisons.  All donations go to Salvation Army.

Maria Pettit ● 4761d

There's a woman with an empty pushchair currently going through the bags beside Nara for the flats above!

Lisa Shackleton ● 4760d

As I left for work this morning 4 Romanian / gypsy in the style of dress with 4 empty push chairs where walking down Grafton Road in the direction of Goldsmiths. Very similar to those seen begging on the tube with the babies comatose in thier arms I though it was odd to all 4 have empty pushchairs....Warning they is a lot false impersonation fraud at the moment run by organised crime. Suspect it's not clothes but data these ladies want or being used to collect. Shred all your documents and if seen discourage them . This isn't poor people looking for castways goods .....

Peter Truesdale ● 4759d

I found an old Ealing Council black rubbish bag last week, I couldn't believe how large and strong it was, it took double the amount of most of the black bags in circulation today.It was a lot thicker, and probably deterred foxes and other creatures from opening them.Why can't we get these from the council anymore?

John Pollastrini ● 4754d

A bigger bas would probably be a disincentive  for people to recycle.It is unlikely that the council will fork out for something as essential as we cant really go without and would buy them anyway.Putting out black bags the night before almost always ends up with their contents all over the pavement if there is any food waste rotting in them.If you are out when it is dark you can witness feeding time for Mr Fox and his family. Don't underestimate the determination and intelligence they will use to get their dinner. If you have looked inside a medium size dog's mouth you will see the perfect tool kit to get into most forms of packaging. A fox is not much different to that. A strong plastic bag would not deter our other bag scavengers either it is just more plastic sitting in landfill for a very long time.

Kim Rugg ● 4754d