Lazy binmen caught on CCTV overloading bins… so they don’t have to collect them

A council apologised today after refuse collectors were caught on CCTV overloading a bin – to avoid taking it away.

The pair of incompetent  binmen were filmed stuffing rubbish into a wheelie outside a shop owned by Iftikhar Ahmed, 52.

Mr Ahmed was bewildered when he went outside to find his bins had not been emptied by Cambridge City Council workers.

The father-of-three was stunned when the authority told him the bins had been left untouched because they were too full.

But he was not convinced by the explanation and he trawled through hours of CCTV footage in a bid to clear up the confusion.

Mr Ahmed was horrified when he spotted the binmen purposely overfilling the bins at  the back of his Dars Express store in Cambridge.

The two bin men can be seen trying to puff up the existing trash like a cushion in a bid to make the bin look overloaded.

They then decided to add cardboard boxes before placing a black bin bag on top of the lid – just to make sure.

They are then seen taking a picture of the rubbish to prove to their bosses there was too much rubbish to remove.

The council were today forced to apologise and admitted the quality of their service was “inexcusable”.

Mr Ahmed said: “I could not believe what I was seeing. It is totally and utterly ridiculous.

“When I complained the council said they had proof the bin was overloaded. So we checked our CCTV and couldn’t believe our eyes.

“This is a total disgrace and God knows how many others this has been done to.

“These actions are moronic and inexcusable. We looked into this and our workers all said the bin was loaded up properly and not overflowing.

“These lazy workers just could not be bothered to empty the bin.

“The council said they have been warned but I think they should be sacked. This is not just a little mistake.

“The way they did it obviously shows that this was not the first time they have done it. I am sure they would have done this to other people too.”

He added: “In the footage it is apparent that the bin was filled sufficiently and set to be emptied. But the bin collectors chose to be indolent and deceitful.

“Not only did they refuse their duty but added to the waste, filling it past the maximum capacity where the bin could no longer close and put a bin bag on top of the bin lid. Their purpose was clear in making it appear as though we had overfilled the bin.

“Their incompetence and lack of professionalism caused a negative effect on our business. We are open for trade for 13 hours daily.

“Therefore, by not having suitable waste facilities, it has created an unsafe and unhygienic environment for our customers and employees.

“As a result, we have lost revenue and gained stress. Moreover, this immoral and inept behaviour is unacceptable and we expect high disciplinary action on those who have failed to do their job.

“This all could have been avoided had the bin collectors not illustrated such moronic behaviour.”

Cambridge City Council’s head of refuse, Jas Lally, vowed to take action against the men involved following the incident on June 28.

He said: “We have written to the owner of the premises and apologised for this poor service which is inexcusable.

“Arrangements are being made to investigate this in accordance with the council’s disciplinary policy and we will be working with the owner of the premises to ensure this does not happen again.”

Cambridge City Council said it would be taking “appropriate action” against the binmen.

A spokesman said: “Cambridge City Council will be investigating this incident and taking appropriate action in accordance with the council’s disciplinary policy.

“We always aim to offer good customer service, and on this occasion the level of service was not acceptable. We have apologised in writing to the customer.

“In response to media enquiries about our policy on overloaded bins, we do not collect bins where the lids are not fully closed or the bin is prohibitively heavy, or collect any waste which is not within the container provided.

“Business customers need to ensure they have the correct frequency of collections or number of bins to deal with the amount of waste they generate.

“The council is keen to work with businesses to tailor services to their needs, and encouraging separation of waste for recycling.

“We will be working with the customer to improve the service we provide to them, and urge other businesses to talk to us about options for recycling, which can help them manage their waste more effectively and save money.”