AS RESIDENTS across the area take delivery of new wheelie bins, the district council has been slammed for potentialy encouraging burglars.

Each household is receiving a new large bin for garden waste and they are being left in people's drives and outside their homes whether they are at home or not.

Carol Bullman found one of the new bins at the home of her 88 year old mother in Morgan Crescent, Theydon Bois.

She said: "Whose stupid idea is was to issue and deposit new garden recycling bins and food collection containers in August, when many residents are on holiday?

"It beggar's belief that the council could behave so irresponsibly.

"What a better advertisement could there be, to burglars, that a house is unoccupied than two new receptacles dumped on the pavement outside a property?

"The person who thought that the school holidays, when many families take their vacations, was a suitable time to deposit wheelie bins should be instantly dismissed from their position.

"Perhaps refuse collection would be a more suitable occupation."