The man offers to take away rubbish for a fee
Merton Council has received several reports saying a 45-year-old black man, 5ft 10ins tall of stocky build, and wearing either an orange or yellow high visibilty coat, has been calling at homes and offering to take away rubbish and bulky items for cash.
He times his round just ahead of the legitimate council-employed dustmen. Once he seals the deal with unsuspecting householders, he dumps the refuse and bulky items in the street, walking away cash in hand.
The council is asking residents to contact its enforcement section on 020 8545 3170 if they are approached by someone offering to remove their rubbish and bulky waste for a cash fee.
Residents needing their bulky waste collected can call the council on 020 8274 4902 or log on to www.merton.gov.uk/refuse/bulky for further information.
The council warn that if you don’t check that the person offering a waste removal service is legitimate and has a licence, you may be liable to pay any fines for illegally-dumped rubbish that can be traced back to you.
The alert was first put out in March, but he is still believed to be at work. The police say it is acceptable to call them on 999 if the bogus bin man is still in the area.
May 3, 2010
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