Council warns of 'scammer' selling fake waste deal

Residents living in Colchester have to pay for their garden waste to be collected on a fortnightly basis

A council has warned people to be vigilant of a "scammer" selling fake garden waste subscriptions for cash.

It followed a person reportedly going door-to-door and asking for money while impersonating an officer from Colchester City Council.

Residents living in the Essex city have had to pay for the fortnightly waste collections since last summer.

Lib Dem councillor Martin Goss said it was a "terrible shame" that residents needed to be warned about a potential scam targeting the service.

He said the perpetrator was wearing a hi-vis jacket and using fabricated garden waste subscription stickers to trick people.

The council added residents could only subscribe to the service by visiting its website or calling the customer service team.