Recycled Boots!

ThriftyJack

I'd be interested in other people's opinions on where I stand legally re: the following.

My partner & I had been landscaping our garden & had left our muddy boots, trainers & other items outside the front door in a see through recycling bag (to stop them getting wet in the rain).

Unfortunately we'd left them out on a recycling day and when it had stopped raining we went back outside to find that the bag full of boots & equipment had been taken, along with another bag full of items for recycling which had been left near the bag of boots etc.

As both bags were taken within the same 2 hour window, and the recycling van was in the area at this time, I think there is a good chance the boots were taken by the recycling team.

I've contacted the recycling depot however the manager there insisted it couldn't have been them as they don't collect from outside front doors as they aren't insured to do so, he said they would have only taken the bags from the kerbside.

I've followed this up with some protracted correspondence with the council & I've recently received a letter to say they refuse to accept liability as the recycling team deny taken the bag.

I'm wondering if I should keep pressing with this as I appreciate it was a daft move on my behalf to have left them out in the first place. However as the bags were taken from outside my front door the recycling team should also shoulder some of the blame.

As a side note I've asked the council / recycling manager for the CCTV from the van on the day and been told that it had been reviewed & nothing could be conclusively determined from it. When I asked to see it myself I was advised it had been taped over in line with their standard procedures.

All feedback is welcome.

Thanks

Jack

ihatecaptcha

ThriftyJack wrote: »

I'd be interested in other people's opinions on where I stand legally re: the following.

[...]

As both bags were taken within the same 2 hour window, and the recycling van was in the area at this time, I think there is a good chance the boots were taken by the recycling team.

"Thinking there is a good chance" that they were taken by the recycling team does not equal proof, nor anything like it.

People are innocent until proven guilty.

LittleVoice

Bags provided for express purpose of receiving items for recycling.
Items inappropriately placed in recycling bag and left outside premises.
Recycling collection that day.

IMHO in those circumstances it seems difficult to complain that bag is removed.

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Locally our ordinary and recycling collectors will even walk down the side of a house to collect items - so we are careful not to leave items in view if they are not to be removed. Not being insured may be a red herring or a convenient statement when they don't collect.

If the recycling bag is transparent (as ours are), then if it was obvious what was inside AND that type of item is not collected for recycling, then I would have expected the recycling team to have refused to take them.

If the items included tools of some value, perhaps it was an opportunistic thief and nothing to do with the recycling collectors.

Probably best not to waste more time in pursuing this one.