CONCERNS have been raised elderly and disabled residents could be targeted by break-ins and anti-social behaviour when a new wheelie bin service is introduced.

Yellow stickers will be handed out to those too frail to push their wheelie bin up their drive when a new waste collection service comes into place in Flintshire this summer.

But community leaders fear the stickers, which signal to bin men that a resident needs help with the wheelie bin, will serve as an advertisement to thieves and yobs that a house is an easy target.

Connah’s Quay councillor Ron Hill, who raised the issue at a town council meeting, said the stickers would put the county’s less able residents at risk.

He said: “There’s a lot of elderly people who can’t cope with wheeling the bins. They have stickers on the front of the bins to say they can’t wheel the bin but that could signify to yobs there’s someone in that house who is elderly. It’s going to cause a lot of problems in the area.”

Changes to waste collection services will come into place across Flintshire in the summer, with the new collections already under way for some households.

Residents will be given new black wheelie bins for their general domestic waste,
which will be collected every two weeks.

Alternative fortnightly collections for brown wheelie bins will take place for green waste.

Roy Davies, vice-chairman of the Deeside Over 50s Forum said the issue had been discussed at their last meeting.

He said: “The people who live in rural areas were voicing a few concerns in as much as the sticker shows that a house down the lane has an elderly or disabled person in it.

“It wasn’t only because they will be highlighted as being vulnerable, and somebody may come along and knock the bin over and scatter the rubbish, but also the likelihood that houses, especially in rural areas may be at risk of burglaries.”

Buckley Cllr Carol Ellis, executive member for social services said several residents had raised concerns about the new stickers.

She said: “There is a popular view that these stickers can make people a target. I know people have concerns.”

A Flintshire Council spokesman said: “The system has been utilised in recycling and waste services for the last five years and there have been no recorded instances of residents being targeted as a result. The council will however be reviewing the need for the stickers once the new waste collections rounds have been developed.”