Vandals dump bins in Maidenhead York Stream waterway

Vandals rolled two cast iron bins full of rubbish into the Maidenhead waterway last week.

A team of six volunteers equipped with chest waders, ropes and a grappling hook were needed to get the council-owned bins out of the section of York Stream behind Maidenhead Library on Sunday.

Initially, a group of four Maidenhead Waterways volunteers went to inspect the incident, but they needed help from two passers-by to get the heavy bins out of the water.

Maidenhead Waterways chairman Richard Davenport was one of the volunteers to don a pair of chest waders and get into the 1.2metre deep water.

Both bins had sunk below the level of the water by the time the volunteers arrived to remove them.

He said: “We are really grateful to the two passers-by who joined forces with us to haul the bins out of the restored York Stream waterway.

“We have advised the council to position its litter bins in future as far from the channel edge as is practical and to anchor them to the adjoining railings, or secure them into the ground to prevent future occurrences.”

Richard added that a CCTV system is due to be installed in the area, which should help deter vandals.

At 1.2metres deep, the section of the waterway behind the library is almost at its maximum depth, but after the weir is built in Green Lane the level will rise to 1.3metres, making it even harder to wade into the stream to remove debris.

Richard said that he hoped the York Road development, which is due to be built on the opposite bank of the stream, will also help provide natural surveillance.