A VOLUNTEER litter picker has criticised the council for not replacing a bin more than two years after it was taken away.

Tony Higgins is part of the Dorset Devils group and has hit out at BCP Council for removing the bin from the top of the Toft zig zag.

He said it is ‘crazy’ that a replacement bin hasn’t been installed and that he has witnessed Bournemouth ‘go down slowly, bit by bit’.

“The refuse bin that was at the top of the Toft zig zag, it was getting a bit old and a bit rusty, but it suddenly disappeared,” Tony, 67, said.

Bournemouth Echo: Tony regularly collects bags full of litter from the top of the cliffs.

“I made enquiries as to what’s happened and we were told that it was being renovated but we’re going to change it, we’ll have one back.

“It was getting closer to the summer, I said 'you need it back for the summertime.'

“It’s now been two years at least, it’s still not been replaced, I don’t know for what reason.

“I can’t understand why the council would not want a bin at the top of a tourist zig zag to get to the beach, and when they come up from the beach put their rubbish in.”

Bournemouth Echo: Tony is a part of Dorset Devils, a group of volunteer litter pickers.

The retired father of two said the rubbish doesn’t look good for people visiting the area, particularly in front of the shelter at the top of the zig zag.

He said he has contacted his ward councillors on numerous occasions for updates but been told his enquiry had been passed on. 

But he has not ‘heard a dickie bird’.

“We’re finding now because it’s not there primarily, stuff is being thrown over the fence,” Tony said.

“Some things I can’t even get to it, and other Dorset Devils can’t get to either, because it’s too far to get to, which means it’s causing upset for people who come to sit in the shelter to look at the sea, look at the sunshine.

“Here they are in front of them, they’ve got empty cans, beer bottles, sweet wrappers, food wrappers, all in there and it’s in their face.

“What is Bournemouth coming to, it used to be an elite, top-of-the-range resort, but now it’s coming down slowly, bit by bit.”

Bournemouth Echo: Tony collected this bag from the top of the cliffs.

He added: “It just needs a bit more effort from the council, to give us a few more bins than we’ve got already.

Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for the environment, said: “We maintain public bins across the BCP area with several bins positioned along the East Overcliff Drive where the Toft zig zag is located, including a solar compactor approximately 25 meters to the right of the zig zag shelter as well as bins at the bottom of the zig zag, so we won’t be replacing any bins here at the present time.

“Businesses also have a responsibility to manage litter, and we encourage all supermarkets to maintain rubbish bins around their premises for the convenience of everyone who shops there.

“We ask people to leave only footprints, which the majority of people who visit our beach and clifftops do.

"Unfortunately, a small minority continue to leave litter which is why we contract Waste Investigation Support and Enforcement to issue fines for anyone caught littering and spoiling our beautiful area. This acts as a deterrent and helps to reduce litter across our area.”