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Bin men trying to get into my back garden.

18 replies

JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 21:27

About a month ago I submitted a complaint to my local council as the bin men kept leaving my recycling - which wasn’t overflowing or anything and everything was in the right bags and boxes. I even took pictures when I put it out in the morning as evidence to show all is present and correct. I checked my ring doorbell footage and they just look in it and walk away. This happened on 4 consecutive collections and reporting it as a missing collection was getting me nowhere.

Anyway I was getting ready for a day out today and 8yo DS comes running in from the garden saying men were trying to get into our garden - to clarify we have a large double side gate at the bottom of our driveway, which leads to the garden, it’s always padlocked unless I’m taking the bins out. It’s about 7ft high.

I went out to check and nobody was there, we also live next to a ginnal so I thought maybe someone had just walked by. then we had to leave straight away.

Then when I was driving DS was saying it wasn’t a passer by, a man was trying to climb our fence. I checked the ring doorbell footage and 4 bin men have gone round the side. I can’t see what they do but they talk about how “Yes last time we were here Jerry took the blue bags and I got the recycling bin”. They then went on my drive and were out of sight of the camera, but their shadows show their figures rising up - I do think they were looking over my fence. They then came out, were talking about how the gate is padlocked, took pictures and videos of my front door and living room and then walked away.

It’s not bin collection day BTW. That’s tomorrow. And by the time I checked the garden for DS they must have gone.

WTF are they doing? Why are they taking pictures of my front door and living room window? And why are they looking over my fence?! They don’t access my backyard garden to collect the bins - I put them on the street, in view of the ring doorbell to make sure nobody has been adding things to the bin.

OP posts:
autisticbookworm · 08/04/2025 21:49

Ring the council and ask ? It’s weird though.

parietal · 08/04/2025 21:57

I guess they've got the complaint that the bins haven't been collected and are trying to work out where to collect from. is there any reason why they wouldn't link the bins at the front to your property?

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 08/04/2025 21:59

You’re going to have to wake up v early and wait with a cuppa at your front window, and go out and talk to them! Thats what I would do.

JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:01

autisticbookworm · 08/04/2025 21:49

Ring the council and ask ? It’s weird though.

unfortunately By the time I saw the video the offices were closed. But I’ll call in the morning. It’s the taking pictures of my house that’s freaked me out. Why would they need to do that?!

OP posts:
GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 08/04/2025 22:04

Has your address perhaps been mistakenly given to them as needing an assisted collection? Or they've mixed your house up with another that does?
My DGM used to have the bin men collect her bin from the back garden as she was disabled.

Doesn't explain why they've not collected them up till now when you've put them out though!

FightingFish · 08/04/2025 22:05

Was it definitely bin men? It could be someone else from the council (could someone have reported you for a planning breach, such as the 7ft fence or something)?

MolluscMonday · 08/04/2025 22:10

They’re responding to your report of missed collections and trying to collect it?

Lovelysummerdays · 08/04/2025 22:20

I’d agree that they are responding to your complaint of a missed bin. They are taking photos to demonstrate bin has not been presented.

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 08/04/2025 22:24

JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:01

unfortunately By the time I saw the video the offices were closed. But I’ll call in the morning. It’s the taking pictures of my house that’s freaked me out. Why would they need to do that?!

Why would you not try and get up and speak to them in the morning? You can clarify that your bin is the one you’re showing them and ask why it’s not been collected previously? You’ll resolve it way quicker that way…

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 08/04/2025 22:25

JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:01

unfortunately By the time I saw the video the offices were closed. But I’ll call in the morning. It’s the taking pictures of my house that’s freaked me out. Why would they need to do that?!

As evidence that you didn’t leave your bin out?

JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:33

It was definitely bin men they were in uniform, and talking about how collecting which bag/bin/box and when (impeachable memories although not how my ring doorbell records it)

OP posts:
JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:34

MolluscMonday · 08/04/2025 22:10

They’re responding to your report of missed collections and trying to collect it?

It’s not bin day! And I wouldn’t leave recycling bags out indefinitely, we have a lot of foot traffic and it would clutter the street

OP posts:
JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:35

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 08/04/2025 22:25

As evidence that you didn’t leave your bin out?

But why would I? I complained a month ago!

OP posts:
Peaceandquietandacuppa · 08/04/2025 23:34

Ok to ask again, why not get up early and try and catch them, to ask them about it and show them the bin they keep missing?

MolluscMonday · 10/04/2025 22:15

JandamiHash · 08/04/2025 22:35

But why would I? I complained a month ago!

They don’t do missed collections on bin day, they’re busy doing bin day on bin day 🙄

SunSeaSangria · 10/08/2025 16:11

Did you ever get to the
bottom of this?

birdling · 10/08/2025 18:43

SunSeaSangria · 10/08/2025 16:11

Did you ever get to the
bottom of this?

I think the op won't see this unless they are tagged, then they will get an email telling them.
Like this:
@JandamiHash

SunSeaSangria · 10/08/2025 19:32

birdling · 10/08/2025 18:43

I think the op won't see this unless they are tagged, then they will get an email telling them.
Like this:
@JandamiHash

Ah ok, thank you @birdling.

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