Housing chiefs plan to change waste collection points in Pennyburn after complaints of bins being left out too long or stolen and set on fire.

Irvine Housing Association launched a consultation with residents to discuss proposals to move bin collection points away from the gables of properties in Pennyburn.

Residents were invited along to a consultation event this week on Monday, February 3 at the Playz in Pennyburn.

Paul Hillard, Managing Director of Irvine Housing Association, said: “Pennyburn residents have raised concerns regarding the collection point of bins, as well as other issues such as bins going missing and being left out.

“We have been working closely with the local authority waste awareness team to resolve this, and as a result we are consulting with residents to get their views on relocating the bins to a central point within the car park.”

Pennyburn residents have frequently been plagued by bins going missing – and often subsequently burnt by youngsters – with a Police Scotland Sergeant telling the town’s community councillors he had ‘never seen so many bin thefts.’

The Times previously revealed that bin theft figures were also affected by North Ayrshire Council, after the local authority confirmed they have a policy that any bins they believe have been left out too long – or ‘abandoned’ – are taken away.

Cllr Donald Reid said: “Some of the bin thefts have to be associated with, I have to say, some folk being lazy.

“Or in some cases they don’t recycle and they want an extra black bin but they’re not prepared to pay the extra money. So they just ‘find’ one.”