Middlesbrough boy's Liverpool love leads to wheelie bin surprise

The bins were delivered to David's house by the council's refuse team

A Middlesbrough boy who fell in love with Liverpool after making frequent visits for treatment has been gifted two of the city's purple wheelie bins.

David Geelan, 10, was born with a skull defect and has made the 100-mile trip to Alder Hey Hospital dozens of times.

He said his family would challenge each other to be the first to see a bin when they arrived in the city, which led his dad to ask the council to ask for one.

Mayor Joe Anderson said sending two was "the least we could do" for David.

David Geelan (second from right) and his family have made many trips to Liverpool

The 10-year-old has the condition craniosynostosis, which means his skull had joined too early before birth.

He has made so many trips to the city for reconstructive surgery and check-ups with his family that they became fundraising ambassadors for the hospital and now regarded Liverpool as "our second home".

They had come to see the bins with such affection that Andrew Geelan contacted the council to ask if he could buy one for David's birthday.

However, rather than selling him one, Liverpool Streetscene Services Ltd decided instead to deliver him two as a surprise - a full-size bin for the garden and a smaller one to store his toys in.

Mr Geelan said his son was delighted with the bins and had named them Bella and Bertie - after the city's much-loved Liver Bird statues.

Mayor Anderson said the city was "proud to call David and his family honorary Scousers".

"David is an amazing young man and we are really thrilled that he and his family love our city so much.

"It is clear that the family have done a tremendous amount of great work for Alder Hey, so it really was the least we could do to present them with their very own purple bins."

David has named his bins Bella and Bertie after Liverpool's Liver Bird statues