An elderly resident was ordered to pay £30 for a new wheely bin after his went missing.

Barry Roberts, 74, of Madison Close, Sutton, saw his bin go wheel-about earlier this month.

Despite living in a gated community, to which only residents and bin men have access, Mr Robson was told he would have to stump up the cash for a new bin.

Mr Roberts suspects his bin was destroyed by mistake.

He said: "I think it must have been devoured by the bin lorry, that or the bin men ran over it."

Mr Roberts doesn't believe it is the work of a bin napper as the bins never leave the gates, the lorry reverses in and empties them.

The former ICI worker said he rang the council on three separate occasions to complain about the missing bin, but was eventually told about the fee.

He said: "It's not as if I cannot afford to pay for it, it's simply on principle, why should I pay for it?"

Mr Roberts has been given another bin by a friend who had a spare one, but for this one, he has taken special measures.

He said: "I have ordered a large number sticker for the side of it, so this one should be safe."

Daniel Ratchford, strategic director, environment and leisure on Sutton Council, said: "Unlike some councils we provide bins to every resident free of charge.

"These bins are then the responsibility of residents, so while we sympathise with Mr Roberts’s situation, we simply cannot spend thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money replacing all missing bins.

"We do not make a profit from replacing bins, we just need to recover our costs.

"If the council is responsible for loss or damage of a bin, which is logged by us, then we will provide a replacement bin free of charge, but in other circumstances it is up to residents themselves."