PENDLE Council has urged residents to bring in their bins after they have been emptied — or risk being fined.

Coun John David, leader of Pendle Council and responsible for waste collection, said: “This isn't just about making our streets look nicer.

"If you leave your wheeled bin or recycling container out when it isn't collection day, the council is not liable for any accidents that happen.

"We do have the powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notice fines of £100 to people who don't abide by this rule, but we really don't want to have to do this.”

Pendle Council also warns that leaving bins out also presents a fire risk to property and people.

Phil Emmett from Lancashire Fire Rescue Service said: “Sadly, some people think it's fun to cause danger by setting bins on fire.

"As well as being a drain on the fire service's resources, the average estimated cost of a bin fire is £1,970 when you take into account the fire crew's time, administration costs and the cost of replacing the bin.”