Ian has '˜wheelie good' idea to dodge bin tax

Ian Dowson, 50, from Whitby who is selling his wheelie bin on eBay for Â£10 after the council began charging for collections. February 15 2016, See Ross Parry copy RPYBIN A vexed resident is flogging his own recycling bin on eBay after tight-fisted council bosses asked him to pay EXTRA for the collection of garden waste. Ian Dowson, 50, an oil worker, bought the bin from Scarborough Borough Council three years ago for a one-off payment of #20 - but now the local authority are charging residents an annual payment of #36 for them to provide the same service. And now gutsy Ian wants to get ahead of the tide and sell his large plastic wheelie bin online so he can get his money back.

Ian Dowson paid the council £20 in 2013 for the brown bin, but with the authority now charging him £38 a year for the collection service, the fed-up oil worker is cashing in.

“It is just ridiculous – what are we actually paying our council tax for?” questioned the 50-year-old.

The bin, which Ian boasts online has tyres in “excellent condition” and has under one mile on the clock.

Ian Dowson is selling his wheelie bin on eBay for Â£10 after the council began charging for collections. Picture: Ross Parry Agency

The starting price is £10, and Ian’s partner Nicola Clarkson, 48, added: ”I have seven people watching it and over a thousand views – mind you, they’re probably just comical views.”

However, the tongue-in-cheek auction has been sparked by Ian’s dismay over the divisive council levy, dubbed the “garden tax”.

The council joined a handful of other authorities around in the country in implementing the annual charge in a bid to help balance its books.

The charge comes in on March 1, and residents who already own a brown bin will get a £20 reduction off their licence in the first year.

But Mr Dowson, of Whitby, has slammed the council, adding: “I bought a bin three  years ago because I wanted  to do my bit for the environment - but now they have taken it too far.

“To be honest I don’t have a big garden so it won’t bother me for the cuttings and grass – it’s just ridiculous altogether.”

For anybody interested in snapping up the bin, Mr Downson claims on his seller’s page that they would be getting a bargain.

“It has only travelled approximately 18 metres every two weeks up and down the drive,” he says. “Tyres are in excellent condition, plenty of life still in them and it is 240 litre, which gives you lots of space for garden waste.

“The contents of the bin are not included in the sale; hopefully I should get it emptied before the 1st of March deadline and will give it a wash-out.”

And he adds that it isn’t just suited for garden waste – claiming it could even be used to keep your beer cold or to play hide and seek in.

He will even post it if the buyer is willing to pay the postage.

Scarborough Council has yet to respond.