Earlsdon resident is supposed to receive assisted bin collection due to a medical condition but often finds his rubbish left uncollected
A disabled Coventry man claims he is the victim of hate crime - because bin men regularly fail to empty his wheelie-bins.
Michael Caine, who lives in Earlsdon, is supposed to receive assisted bin collection due to a medical condition, but often finds the rubbish left uncollected.
The 75-year-old says the problem has been going on for three years.
Suffering from reduced mobility due to a stroke that he suffered four years ago, Mr Caine is eligible for assisted bin collection from Coventry City Council, and binmen are supposed to enter his garden, collect his bins, and secure the garden gate upon exit.
But Mr Caine says this rarely happens: “The waste team have an unwillingness to provide me with assisted collection of my bins as agreed.
“After being assessed as a disabled person who qualifies for assistance, I regularly find that my bins have not been collected.
“On occasions where they have, my garden is left insecure and I have to walk to secure my gate.
“I suffered a stroke four years ago and have reduced mobility so having to do this is difficult and potentially dangerous, as I may fall.”
He estimates that there is a problem with his collection as often as once every two collections, and argues that his treatment falls into the category of a hate crime, saying:
“If 80 bins in one street are being emptied on every visit and one isn’t, that person is being discriminated against.
“Take in that I am disabled and it amounts to a hate crime.
“I am being treated differently because I’m disabled.
“The binmen won’t come into my garden whereas able-bodied people have their bins collected regularly.”
Mr Caine is receiving support from Earlsdon councillor Allan Andrews, who said: “I’m as frustrated as the resident.
“The solution is obvious to anyone with common sense.
“Mr Caine has an assisted collection owing to medical reasons.
“The waste crews have keys to access his property and the gated, locked alleyway to the rear of his property.
“The frustration is often that every other bin in the road is collected, except for the assisted one.
“It appears to be the crew being unwilling or unable to access the bins, and service managers ought to fix this quickly.
“I have raised my strong concerns with relevant service managers who assure me that they are trying to resolve the issue.”
I thought disabled people had half-size wheeliebins with orange liners, my neighbour did?
(That wasn't always emptied either).
