City of York Council forked out nearly £100,000 on replacement wheelie bins last year - putting costs almost £40,000 over budget.

Nearly 5,000 grey wheelie bins were replaced between April last year and this March.

Ten per cent of those replacements - costing around £10,000 - were due to bins falling into the back of the council's refuse collection wagons.

The wheelie bins are clipped on to the back of the wagons and then lifted and emptied. But if the bin is not clipped on properly, it is tossed into the wagon with the rubbish, and crushed.

City of York Council's Environment chief Andrew Waller said the year 2005/2006 had been unusually costly because of the council's move to a fortnightly collection system.

"Under the new system, families of five or more were entitled to bigger 240-litre bins, and families of six or more were entitled to 360-litre bins," he said.

"This had led more residents to request bigger replacement bins than they would in a normal year."

But these upgrades only account for 16 per cent of the replacements.

Speaking about the number of bins damaged during collections, Coun Waller said: "In 2003, we looked at the root causes of replacement. We looked at areas where we could have a direct impact.

"We ensured all bin men were trained to use the new tipping system, and between 2004/05 and 2005/06, the percentage of bins replaced because the original had fallen in the wagon fell from around 20 per cent, to around 10 per cent."

Coun Waller pointed out that his environment and sustainability department's spending was £5,000 under budget at the end of the third quarter of this year.

Former city councillor Liz Edge, from Acomb, hit out at the council after collection wagons "ate" three of her bins in less than five years.

She said: "The point needs making that this is an awful lot of public money that's been wasted.

"I care about this because I've sat through council meetings where councillors are discussing small cost-saving measures which have a huge impact on people, and yet there are areas where you can make savings without penalising anyone.

"I'm on my fourth bin since the council introduced the wheelie bins about five years ago.

"One of my neighbours has been through four too, and the people on the other side have gone through three.

"There are about 30 houses in the street, so that's at least ten per cent that have had this problem - and that's not counting those that haven't told me.

"Ten per cent of all the households in York adds up to a significant amount of money."

:: City council's rubbish bins record

BETWEEN April 2004 and March 2005, 3,095 grey wheelie bins were replaced by City of York Council.

In the following year, 4,869 bins were replaced.

They were to replace bins for the following reasons - with the figures for 2004-2005 first, then the figures for 2005/2006:

Bins fallen in the back of the wagon: 610 and 484

Bins damaged by residents or bin men: 421 and 701

Downgrade to a smaller bin: 17 and 56

Bins set fire to: 34 and 39

Residents who moved-in to find no bin: 361 and 327

Bins for new development: 231 and 295

Stolen or lost bins: 904 and 1291

Bins upgraded to bigger size: 106 and 798

Bin upgraded for medical purposes: 21 and 74

Upgrade to wheelie bin: 390 and 804

In April 2001-March 2002, the budget for bin replacement ran to £14,200, and overall spending was £39,500, with a £25,300 overspend.

In April 2002-March 2003, the budget for bin replacement ran to £14,400, and overall spending was £79,400, with a £48,200 overspend.

In April 2003-March 2004, the budget for bin replacement ran to £37,400, and overall spending was £60,700, with a £39,800 overspend.

In April 2004-March 2005, the budget for bin replacement ran to £87,300, and overall spending was £78,500, with a £18,500 underspend.

In April 2005-March 2006, the budget for bin replacement ran to £87,400, and overall spending was £97,800, with a £38,900 overspend.

Updated: 09:26 Friday, April 21, 2006