THIS is the bizarre moment a company bought its own stolen bin back for £20 after spotting it on the back of a horse and cart outside its headquarters.
The industrial bin was taken by two men just before midnight on Sunday from Eastern Catering and Engineering UK Ltd based in Garnett Street, Barkerend.
Managing director Amina Parveen said she had no idea why the men had stolen the bin from her company, and was even more puzzled when it turned back up in the street outside her business yesterday afternoon.
She said the bin – easily identifiable as it is a model no longer in production – had had their company logo ripped off, but her staff knew it was their bin when they spotted it being pulled along on a horse and cart outside the business.
When staff approached the man in charge of the cart, she said he told them he had bought it that morning from other men and didn’t realise it was their bin.
CCTV footage of the bin being stolen
Despite being told they should have reported it to police, Ms Parveen said her father – who she described as a “softie” – just directed her staff to pay the man £20 to get the bin back off him.
A replacement bin would have set the company back £162, she added.
Ms Parveen said: “At about midnight two lads just turned up and took the trade bin from outside.
“Then today we saw the bin on the back of this horse and cart, being driven right past our premises.
“We stopped him and asked why he had our bin, and he said someone had sold it to him. His story wasn’t adding up but in the end my dad, he’s a softie sometimes, just said let’s buy it back from him and we paid £20 to get it back.
“We rang the bin company when we realised it was gone and were in the middle of ordering a new one when we spotted this horse and cart outside – it was going right past the place it was stolen from.
“They said a new bin would have cost £162, they were furious when we said we’d paid £20 to get it back and said we should have reported it to the police.
“The label with the company name had been taken off but we knew it was our bin, it’s a type that’s no longer in production so it’s quite unique.
“We just found it so funny he had no idea it was stolen and had come straight past the place it had been stolen from, we found the whole thing hilarious.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@telegraphandargus.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel