Salt bin thieves warned they could face charges (From Banbury Cake)
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Salt bin thieves warned they could face charges
6:00pm Thursday 24th January 2013 in News
BANBURY Town Council has threatened to prosecute salt “thieves” after its salt bin budget rocketed tenfold.
The authority put up its budget from £3,000 in 2011/12 to £10,000 this year but later raised it to £30,000 because of thefts.
It is a criminal offence to take salt from the bins for private use during snowy and icy weather.
Town council leader Kieron Mallon said: “We’ve had phone calls from people saying cars are arriving at salt bins and drivers are filling their boots with salt. Other reports tell us that people are filling wheelbarrows.
“At this stage we are hoping that residents will heed the warning. I’m sure that most people do not realise that the salt is not for private use.
“The council will consider prosecutions if our warnings are ignored and we get evidence of continued and blatant misuse.”
