How did a Peterborough council bin end up on a Norfolk beach?!

We’ve all heard of rubbish clogging up our country’s beaches, but one ranger team was left wheelie surprised when it discovered a bin owned by Peterborough City Council had washed up on its shores!
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The shock discovery was made yesterday (Wednesday) at Blakeney Point in north Norfolk, some 70 miles away from the Town Hall in Peterborough.

Blakeney Point is a nature reserve managed by the National Trust and rangers are used to seeing grey seals, as the area currently boasts England’s largest colony.

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But while the charity is accustomed to clearing rubbish to keep our beauty spots looking clean, it probably wasn’t expecting a helping hand being sent from Peterborough, even if we do aspire to be the Environment Capital of the UK.

The Peterborough bin which ended up on the beach. Photo: National Trust - Norfolk CoastThe Peterborough bin which ended up on the beach. Photo: National Trust - Norfolk Coast
The Peterborough bin which ended up on the beach. Photo: National Trust - Norfolk Coast

A National Trust ranger, writing on Twitter, said: “We think it’s likely that it fell in the river Nene and made its way to us that way.”

Andy Coles, a councillor for Peterborough City Council, wrote that his colleague Cllr Chris Harper “was asking for any news about the missing bin from Brodsworth Road”.

“I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear you’d found it,” he said.

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In an original Facebook post, Mr Harper had written on Saturday: “Sigh! The new bin at Brodsworth Road has only been in a week and the top has already been removed.

“Likely in the river by now I know, but if you spot it whilst out walking please let me know.”

The National Trust has approached the council to make arrangements to return the bin.

The National Trust - Norfolk Coast Facebook account said: “We occasionally have some surprising or amusing things wash up on our shores and today’s find by the ranger team at Blakeney was no exception.

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“So Peterborough City Council, are you missing a bin? We’ve had one appear on Blakeney Point! We reckon it had heard about our seal pups & fancied a visit, however, we’re now unsure how it’ll get home. Not having legs we don’t think public transport is the answer so can you please advise?”

A city council spokeswoman said: “We’re wheely grateful to the National Trust for informing us of our bin’s whereabouts. It is always a great waste whenever council property goes missing.

“We’ve made contact with the bin and we applaud its efforts to try and clean up our countryside by plonking itself on the beauty spot which is Blakeney Point. Although we appreciate it’s a trip it couldn’t ‘refuse’, we will be reminding the bin of its contractual obligation to stay within the council boundary.

“We’re now talking to our staff as to whether we bring back our renegade rubbish holder in time for Christmas, or whether we let it seal a permanent place within the Norfolk countryside.”