New bins installed by river where 50 were scrapped

Four new bins have been installed along a stretch of the River Tees

New bins have been installed along a stretch of land where 50 were previously removed after funding cuts.

In 2023, the Canal and River Trust (CRT) got rid of bins along a stretch of the River Tees in Stockton, saying it could no longer afford to meet the cost of emptying them.

Concerns about litter have been raised regularly since, but Stockton Borough Council has now installed four new bins to help keep the area clean.

Council leader Lisa Evans said the local authority had listened to "what people have said about not having bins in this area".

"The ward councillors and I have worked with CRT to install four new bins on their land, and the council will be maintaining them to make the area cleaner and a nicer place for everyone," she said.

"We've listened carefully to what people have said about not having bins in this area, which is very popular with both dog walkers and other visitors."

Volunteer litter pickers had been cleaning up the stretch after the bins were removed.

The CRT previously said it could no longer afford the annual £30,000 cost to maintain the bins.

Director Sean McGinley said the charity was facing soaring costs and stretched budgets.

He said it was upsetting that "people are still leaving litter, which then finds its way into the river".