Securitycameratrackworld.

Blink outdoor cameras are very good for this sort of thing.

Can you install a spring loaded glitter bomb?

Eufy. Can do everything on your list.

Motion activate, no subscriptions required, batteries last for ages.

I just drilled two holes in mine and use a padlock and chain .

I just drilled two holes in mine and use a padlock and chain

This would work but I'm not often home when the bin men come and its often during this period that the filler does their filling.

Reolink Argus.

Solar powered, nice and discreet. Can be set up with alerts email or otherwise, on or off and has a speaker in it with a siren.

So you can ask them what they are doing from phone.

Easy to set up too!

Have you heard of a toilet seat banger? One of those under the lid would put them off.

They're only about 3 quid and they've been used to hilarious effect all over my house.

Have you heard of a toilet seat banger? One of those under the lid would put them off.

One suspect is an old lady who is a bit absent minded or maybe something worse, I don't want to actually kill her off. If I knew it was her then I'd be a lot less pissed off. I have helped her out with a few things in the past, and she needs help.
I'm more interested in finding out who it is so I can plot some kind of revenege if it is just straight malicious behaviour.

Blink camera satisfies all these requirements.

Plug a USB memory stick into the base unit and there's no need for a cloud subscription.

Blink in my hands right now, they had stock at Kingsgate Argos.
I don't want the culprit to know I have installed a camera. I am installing it inside for now on the window frame so it peeks out behind the curtains. Picture looks fine through the double glazing.
Since this escalated I have been keeping the bins in the garage which is a bit stinky and annoying as its right next to the kitchen, and the garage is at the back so I either wheel them through the house or drag the bins around the block.... So they will be back out tonight.
I'll report back.

I am installing it inside for now on the window frame so it peeks out behind the curtains.

the only trouble with this approach is you might find the glass affects the night vision, if that’s important!

Ahh balls. You night vision probs important. OK, I will move it up so it looks out the open window on 1st floor.

I have been quite vigiliant, sometimes it happens in the day after collection but also has happened at night. I feel like a right plonker diving in my bin twice a day, but last time we had no room for our own rubbish so it boiled my urine somewhat. 2 weeks is to long for household waste. Bloody council.

We have a Ring Stick-up camera in the garden that we use to watch our garden wildlife 🦔 🦔 🦌 🦌 at night - it’s self-contained and pretty weatherproof (Scottish island) and you can set it up to send motion-activated alerts. You have to subscribe if you want to save and review footage - first month or so is free. Also have a Ring floodlight camera on the garage which you can activate a siren to scare the bejesus out of undesirables like the pine marten we had the other day.

Can we swap you? We’ve told our neighbour multiple times to use our bins before due for collection if there’s room as their’s is normally full but they don’t bother. My fella has been sneaking out at 6am and getting some of their bin bags full of rubbish and putting it in our bin. He almost hurled last time from the excrement inside.

Hide in said bin and spring out like an angry Jack-in-the-box.

What do you think I can do regarding police/council etc if I can identify who did it?

I just drilled two holes in mine and use a padlock and chain .

+1

Seems the best solution.

What do you think I can do regarding police/council etc if I can identify who did it?

Absolutely nothing!

What do you think I can do regarding police/council etc if I can identify who did it?

SWAT team for the flies.

Culprit has been caught, full face on camera, twice in the same day, its a bloke who lives 2 doors down. In fact I had not suspected him. It is very wierd how little we know about people.

So what to do. Post the footage on our neighbourood whatsapp group? (Which is all the wives, including his. I'm not on it, but my wife is chomping a the bit to embarrass this geezer.)
However I am kind of mulling it over. Camera is well hidden, so I am sure he does not realise he has been caught, especially as he came back for a 2nd round. I could ask him if he has ever done it and see what I can learn.

Go knock on his door and ask him to stop?

Just post a rant on the whatsapp group about people dumping their rubbish in your bin. And how antisocial it is.

Wait until his missus posts in sympathy. Then post his mugshot in the reply.

Go knock on his door and ask him to stop?

This.

my wife is chomping a the bit to embarrass this geezer.

That's not an opening gambit, that's phase two if he tells you to **** off.

Laminated A4 notice on the bin...Hello number x; you've been caught on candid camera. Any repetition and your details go to the Council.
Alternatively, return his rubbish to him in person and deliver the same message as above.

A few idle musings.

You say he's doing it on bin day. Is he doing it after collection? If so, why doesn't he just leave it out with his bin? If not, what's the problem?

Can't he just ask the council for a second bin if he's filling his own?

It's a dick move but is there anything officially 'wrong' with putting your rubbish in a neighbour's bin? I'm sure our council used to advise putting any excess rubbish into your neighbour's bin (back when they reduced the general waste bin size), although admittedly I can't find such a statement now (and presumably they would have suggested getting consent first as well).

I’m sure our council used to advise putting any excess rubbish into your neighbour’s bin

I think ours did as well. But it becomes a problem when you can't then use your own because someone else has filled it.

The more I think about this, the more I think it's weird. If he's doing it right before collection then it's a non-issue surely, why would anyone even notice let alone care? If he's doing it right after collection then why the hell would he do that rather than just using his own now-empty bin? If he's doing it at any other time, just lock it as suggested above.

I have just caught him as he came home from work, and asked him to stop, he has denied doing it.
Me smiling "Hi Phil, I wondered if I could ask you to stop putting your stuff in my black bin, we keep running out of space."
Phil going red and getting irate " What are you on about? Why would you think I was putting stuff in your bin? " I stayed calm, he rushed into his house. I ambled away pondering.

I reckon thats enough. I bet he doesn't do it again.

If he’s doing it right after collection then why the hell would he do that rather than just using his own now-empty bin?

I am guessing it is because his family makes extra waste and he forgets to put it out? Or doesn't want to? Or is mad?

Collection was wedensday last week about 1000, I wasn't home. I got home at 6pm, bins on my drive where the bin men normally leave them. I found black bags in my bin. Reviewed footage and found Phil at about 1230 dump 2 black bags, then again at 1500 he dumped another. Was household waste. Why didn't he put out in the morning with his own bags?

The council don't mind if you put out bags on the morning of collection beside your black bin. I dunno what time he leaves in the morning, but is before me (0830).

So a lock won't work as I can't leave it locked for bin men. We have been putting bins in garage but its a PITA and stinky, and won't make any diff as he does it when I have to leave the bins out, ie before I get home on bin day.
I can't see from footage but I know he drives past our house to get home after work so I think he knew both our cars were gone so felt free to go on the drive.

We have added our own waste since and I now have a full black bin already with 8 days to go until the next collection.

Can’t he just ask the council for a second bin if he’s filling his own?

I have just ordered a 2nd bin, did not realise this was an option.

A second bin may just make him bolder and start filling up with more stuff. Did you ever mention anything on the WhatsApp group? Is that still an option?

I'd be tempted to start off by saying "someone has been doing <this> and it's really annoying and it leaves me no space for my stuff and I plan on getting some CCTV set up to catch them. I'll post here if I get any good shots of the culprit" and see what happens.

Yeah wife just said 2nd bin will get filled up, but I now have his pictures and have given him a warning. I'm hoping it is enough, I don't really want to cause a big confrontation yet, hopefully me telling him to stop will make him stop...

Why didn’t he put out in the morning with his own bags?

Why didn't he put it in his own empty bin?

A second bin may just make him bolder and start filling up

Yeah wife just said 2nd bin will get filled up

Order a second bin, but put it outside his house, with his house number painted on it.

Edit: and could i please just check: you called the police because somebody put some rubbish in your bin?!

That it like one of those things that appear on the "Most Ridiculous Reasons for Calling Emergency Services in 2021" compiled at the end of each year.

Order a second bin, but put it outside his house, with his house number painted on it.

The problem with this is it's now on record that you've have a second bin, not your neighbour. So should you ever require a second bin or a replacement they might charge you or otherwise be arsey. I'd be very clear to the council that this is what you were doing (if it is) so they can allocate it to him and not you.

1: Print out an image of him depositing his rubbish in your bin and attach it to the inside of the bin lid. If that doesn't work...2: print an image of his wife in the same place. It's your rubbish, you can put in your bins whatever you want 😉

Given you now know who he is, just put his bin bags back in his bin?

you can activate a siren to scare the bejesus out of undesirables like the pine marten we had the other day.

Why on earth would you want to do that? Grey squirrels, yes, but the presence of martens will drive them away. That’s incomprehensible to me.

Cougar, exactly, why didn't he put it in his own empty bin? I am dumbfounded. Assuming its because he expects to fill his up and doesn't give a shit about mine.

2nd bin is for us, cost me 40 quid, we often go over anyway so saves me keeping my own black bags in the garage. I have just used a soldering blowtorch to burn our house number into all our bins, front, both sides and lid.

Peekay

Edit: and could I please just check: you called the police because somebody put some rubbish in your bin?!
That it like one of those things that appear on the “Most Ridiculous Reasons for Calling Emergency Services in 2021” compiled at the end of each year.

I appreciate the concern, but perhaps have a little think about this and ask yourself if there is anyway of communicating with your local law enforcement to find out the legality of other people using my bins without calling the emergency services.

Anyway recycling bin day this morning, just for once I got up at 630 to put ours out, and I spied Phil pulling out his green bin. I have actually looked out for his black bins a couple of times to return his bags, but he seems to be keeping them in his garage, plus, it hasn't been a huge priority. So I ran back to house for his bin bags and deposited them at his feet.
"These are yours mate" he was silent.
"You should buy a 2nd black bin to cope with your extra black bags instead of putting them in my bin"
Still silent, he just sheepishly picked up his black bags and went back in to his house. 🤣🤣

Nobody in the street (unless they read STW) knows about my camera, which will stay active as long as its warm enough to keep the window open. I'm enjoying myself a bit too much over this.

Put the film up on social media/community FB group, 'Anyone recognise this man?'

Despite being avid 'recyclers' our rubbish bin is fairly small, much smaller than the recycling bins, so are usually full by week one, never mind by the end of week two. What a cheeky farker. Pop a picture of him on the bin lid, nobody but him will see it.

We go to the local tip with any excess - house of four adults.

Some neighbours are tools - we've got one. Caught him bending our wing mirrors back for no reason. I left it, just saved the footage incase he did any other damage.

ran back to house for his bin bags and deposited them at his feet.
“These are yours mate” he was silent.
“You should buy a 2nd black bin to cope with your extra black bags instead of putting them in my bin”
Still silent, he just sheepishly picked up his black bags and went back in to his house. 🤣🤣

Excellent, finally a STWer that actually takes action.

Like.

Excellent, finally a STWer that actually takes action.

I'm kinda trying to keep a middle path between diplomacy and results. No need to make an enemy out of someone who is already a massive prick. My experience is that these interactions can often end up turning positive. So I approached everything with a big grin. (Phil probably now thinks I am a huge smug ****, but its better than confrontation)

Meanwhile, last night the cops left an answerphone. I had previously spoken to a PCSO who I know, who told me nothing he could do. I think he must have been thinking about it and passed it up the chain, as an acutal Sarge called me. She said it is a prosecutable offence under the Environmental Protection Act Section 33 - and is effectivly fly tipping. She said if I had any evidence such as addressed mail or CCTV to contact her.
I am still sitting on the camera images, wondering what to do next..

Now you know who did it & confronted him about it, I would say Police action is a bit OTT.

Might be worth contacting her, explaining about the CCTV & your response.
Leave it at that, unless it keeps happening. It was a good idea to keep the camera info to yourself & not tell him you had him on CCTV.
The fact he didn't protest when you gave him his bin bags back means he knows he's been caught & probably won't do it again.

Ok, I'm hooked.....I really have to have a conclusion on this. Am I the only one to find this fascinating?

It is certainly more exciting than some of the stuff on Netflix!

I've bought a camera for the front of the house just off the back of this story. Not that anyone has put anything in my bins but I got caught up in the detective like excitement. Good work all round on identifying the culprit.

As a point of reference, a friend of mine has a camera on his cabin and pipes the feed to a web-based ML service that tries to ID the things going past it. He gets very excited when the AI correctly recognises a car and then claims his cat is a bird.

Yes, he does send the screenshots to me.

This website: https://frigate.video/

Requires/uses a coral.ai with models to do the on-site AI part

I've had one pointing at the street for a few years now, occasionally interesting when something happens. A few months back, there was a stabbing and the Police appealed for video footage of the assailants escaping on bike. They rode down our road (dead end) and then turned around and rode back. Gave the Police the footage to help build the timeline etc. Very easy - the Police gave an exact time of the incident a few streets away, so only had to check 10 mins worth of footage and there they were...

This website: https://frigate.video/

Requires/uses a coral.ai with models to do the on-site AI part

All kinds of practical and fun uses (I mainly use it for fun stuff - automatically counting the number of eggs in the chicken coop, keeping a daily score chart of who makes the most tea, etc 😃) although at some stage I want to learn how to make my own AI models (it currently is not very good at identifying the actual chickens!) so it can alert me if we get a breakout 🐓 🤣