Peterborough litter picking group install new bins made from basketball hoops to combat growing rubbish problem

Peterborough Litter Wombles have stepped up their war against rubbish around the city with a series of new bins created from old basketball hoops.

The group have placed ten at the moment with each only costing around £35, which they say ‘compares rather well’ to the cost of one of the existing bins’ which can cost over £300.

The locations for these bins have been chosen due to the amount of rubbish litter pickers have had to clear there due to the lack of official council bins.

Three new bins have recently been placed in Parnwell, with further bins located along the path runs from Planet Ice in Bretton- parallel to Bretton Way- and towards Maskew Avenue and from the McDonalds on Carr Road, through the Airfields Cycleway into Boongate and over to the Embankment and Bishop's Road.

Volunteers have been placing bags on lampposts for a number of weeks but have been inspired to go further after seeing how well used these bags have been.

The newly-installed bins are maintained by volunteers for the time being but it is hoped Peterborough City Council will agree to take on the maintenance of the bins in time.

The work of the Litter Wombles in the city is supported by fellow local group the Independent Review Committee on Debris- founded by Steve Eastman- who have been supported of the plans.

Group founder Harry Machin said: “Peterborough is really good and has been designed well for walking and cycling routes but a lot of them have fallen into disrepair and neglect.

"About five years ago, we started clearing some of this rubbish, which was deep in the vegetation. We have gradually cleared the rubbish to a point where we can maintain it.

"They are now where we have put the bags and the bins. On some of these, you can go a mile on these busy routes and not see a bin. This just leads people to chuck their rubbish in the bushes where they think it is out of sight.”