FIFE Council has assured residents in Ballingry Road, Ballingry, that they will ensure that recycling bins cannot cross the busy road around their homes.

The recent gales have exposed a problem at the Recycling Centre, near the bus turning point in Ballingry Road.

Andrew Watson, who lives at number 96, experienced one of the bins moved by the wind and it set off across the road before colliding with his car and then a neighbour’s.

Said Andrew, “A couple of years ago this happened when my car was hit by a moving bin but at the weekend the strong winds caused a re-run.

“One of the bins was blown out of the recycling centre by the gale and it headed across the road and slowly crept up to the vehicles parked on the other side of the road and hit my car and then bounced into my neighbour’s vehicle.

“It looked like it caused more damage to the other car rather than mine, but really this should not be happening.” Mr Watson has had a look at other recycling depots and he said, “At other situations the bins seem much more secure and this could not happen at say the Lochgelly or Cowdenbeath centres.

“I have spoken to the council about the issue before and they said it would be dealt with but still we are having the bins being blown by strong winds. My worry is what would happen if a motorist had to swerve to avoid a trundling bin and maybe collide with another car or a pedestrian.

“I know that the bins have brakes but these can be easily disengaged. We needed the bins to be shackled to ensure these do not move.” The Council said on Monday that the problem would be tackled.

Martin Kingham, Service Manager (Waste Collection) said, “The Service has only just become aware of an incident at this site and will of course take appropriate steps to ensure that the bins at this recycling point are secure.”