Grimsby: Ex-councillor counts dozens of dumped trolleys on walks

The council said it was the legal responsibility of stores to stop trolleys being dumped

Dozens of shopping trolleys have been found dumped in Grimsby, prompting calls for more to be done to tackle the problem, a council meeting has heard.

Former councillor Les Bonner said he had counted 61 trolleys abandoned in parts of Freshney Valley while out on walks between August and December.

He said the council's approach to dealing with the issue was "useless".

North East Lincolnshire Council said it was the legal responsibility of stores to stop them being dumped.

Last year the council said it was being "invaded" by shopping trolleys in Grimsby, with street cleaners collecting more than 140 over an eight-week period, many of which had been dumped in the street or River Freshney.

In addition, 50 trolleys were pulled from the water in October by a group of magnet fishers who helped to clear junk from the river.

Speaking at a council meeting, Mr Bonner said the authority had powers to collect the trolleys on public land and recharge the supermarkets for them.

A group of magnet fishers took part in a clean-up operation in October

Council leader Philip Jackson accepted more action could be taken but "best practice" shared from other councils who had done this indicated it was a costly measure.

He said the not-for-profit app TrolleyWise was the best means for people to report any found dumped, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said the authority's fly tipping collection services were "already stretched" so it preferred for stores, whose legal responsibility it is, to take the lead.

He added: "If people did not steal and dump trolleys we would not have to waste time and resources."

Mr Jackson said he would continue to recommend to supermarkets that all their trolleys are fitted with automatic locking devices, which could noticeably tackle the problem.