Pumpkin ‘thefts’ mystery

MORE residents have complained about binmen taking their pumpkins.

Last week, the Henley Standard reported how David Young had a 60lb specimen taken from the front garden of his home in Ashford Avenue, Sonning Common.

He was planning to raffle it in aid of the Poppy Appeal.

Mr Young, 63, said a neighbour had noticed binmen walking through his vegetable patch earlier so he suspected they were responsible.

Since then other residents have complained about their Halloween pumpkins being taken.

One posted on Facebook asking which “sad person” had taken their children’s pumpkins and others pointed out that “perhaps the food waste collected them”.

The villager replied: “How dare the council choose to take them? It sounds like we have overzealous binmen.”

Another resident said their pumpkins had also been taken and in previous years they had had their vegetables kicked down the road.

Biffa, South Oxfordshire District Council’s waste contractor, said it would investigate Mr Young’s claim and that it took allegations of theft seriously.