Rubbish fire hazard warning ahead of the new collections

A NEW refuse collection system will come into force across the Arun district on Monday, February 28, and could leave more rubbish on the streets as a target for vandals lighting fires, the fire service has warned.

From that day, residents will have to drop their rubbish by the road at the front of their house for the refuse collectors to pick up.

In areas where the houses sit on the road there could be piles of unsightly rubbish building if it is put out too early.

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Littlehampton Fire Station commander Trevor Worsfold said: "The crews of this fire station have been working particularly hard over the past six months to make the public more aware about arson and such incidents have decreased steadily.

"I hope that with the new on-street rubbish collections, the public only put their rubbish out just before the collection, otherwise it could lead to more fires."

Arun Fire and Rescue Service commander Chris Bishop said: "West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service during the Christmas period experienced an increase in arson fires in and around Littlehampton town centre.

"We would ask all residents in the town to ensure the rubbish they put out for collection is only there the day before and secured in appropriate bags.

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"Arson is something that can have a serious impact on people's lives, so please help us to prevent arson from occurring."

Town councillor Mark Butler said: "The more we educate the public into understanding what the collections are going to be like, the better."