Headache for Clifton residents after rise in trolleys dumped on estate

Supermarket shopping trolleys are causing a headache for residents in Clifton who say they are being dumped all over the neighbourhood.

Morrisons has removed the £1 lock pads from many of its trolleys in an attempt to make shopping easier for its customers.

But the decision – which follows shoppers nationally being charged 5p for every carrier bag that they use – has resulted in a number of trolleys being stolen from the store.

The trolleys have been spotted in bushes, outside pub car parks and in people’s front and back gardens.

Shaun Broughton, who lives near the store on Green Lane, said he has seen stolen trolleys go by his house on more than one occasion.

He said: “I can tell you without a shadow of doubt where the majority of Morrisons go. Most nights, weekdays and weekends, a procession of laden trolleys go by mine on the other side of the road.”

Aaron James, who also lives on Green Lane, said he took a trolley with him to help carry his shopping home but always returns it when he is finished it with afterwards.

He said: “I live across from Morrisons and I always use the trolley to take my shopping home, even before the 5p charge for carrier bags came into place. I always return the trolley afterwards, because it doesn’t look great if you have a trolley dumped or parked outside your house.”

Clifton South’s Councillor Steve Young said he was fully aware of the problem and would be in contact with local PCSOs to find the people responsible.

He added: “I am fully aware of this problem. We will get the officers to be on the lookout and talk to the people of Clifton who have seen these trolleys dumped, to see if the culprits can be identified.

“Ultimately, it is up to the supermarket to take measures such as installing CCTV and other security procedures to help tackle and resolve this problem as soon as possible.”

A spokeswoman from the store said customers had told the company that they found trolley locks to be inconvenient, especially when they don’t have a pound coin.

She added: “Our trolleys are valuable to us and whenever strays are reported to one of our colleagues, we send a team out to recover. We hope that that these thefts will not continue.”

The spokeswoman said the store did not believe that there was a link between the 5p charge for plastic bags and the trolley thefts, but that there would be an internal investigation about the issue problem in the near future.