Sunderland woman 'told to buy new wheelie bin' by council after hers is stolen during mortuary visit

Angry Verna Cole is considering withholding the £25 Sunderland City Council fee as the original bin’s disappearance was “though no fault of my own”.

The council, for its part, has offered its sympathies to Mrs Cole over her family’s bereavement and insisted it would be in touch shortly in an attempt to resolve the matter.

Her green bin, used to store general waste, disappeared on collection day from outside her home in Downhill, Sunderland, while she accompanied her family to visit a recently-deceased relative in a funeral parlour.

Mother-of-four Mrs Cole, 74, said: “I put it out about noon as I went out.

"When I came back a couple of hours later I could not find my bin anywhere.

"Normally if I am in I bring it back in as soon as possible as we have had problems in the past with bins going missing.”

After a search failed to uncover the bin, she contacted the council and said she was told by two members of staff that she would have to pay £25 for a replacement.

Mrs Cole, who used to help her late husband, Alan, run his business providing logs and sticks for fireplaces, said: “I could not believe what I was hearing.

"I am a council tax payer and just want to stand up for my rights.

"I pay my bills, don’t ask for much and I don’t see why I should pay for a replacement when it was not my fault.

"I normally bring it back in straight away, but on this day I couldn’t.”

Mrs Cole, who also used to work in Sunderland’s former Notarianni’s ice cream parlour, believes the bin was probably stolen by yobs and set alight on nearby fields.

Council leader Councillor Graeme Miller said: “We are very sorry to hear about what has happened and would like to send our sympathies to this lady for her bereavement.

"We will be in touch to discuss her missing bin and to see how we can resolve this matter.”

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