Mum’s rage as kids’ toys are snatched

Mar 13 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PERTH mum hit out yesterday after her kids’ favourite toys were snatched from her doorstep by council staff.

Single parent Tracey Lindsay branded Perth and Kinross Council’s zero-tolerance housing collections policy “heartless”, after a go-kart, bicycle and mini-tractor left outside her first-floor local authority flat in North Muirton were all earmarked for the crusher.

Even a mint-condition leather sofa still wrapped in polythene was seized by the squad of community warden raiders, who Ms Lindsay (26) claims failed to warn her of their intentions

She said the incident, which occurred while she was away from her home, had left her two children Kayla (4) and Kyle (3) distraught.

“My boy has been in tears,” the Lingay Court resident told the PA yesterday.

“Everything was either brand new or a Christmas present and the stuff wasn’t in anyone’s way or near the stairs.

“The toys had only been in a corner of the big close landing for a couple of days, while the couch was there for two or three weeks.

“It belongs to my little brother who is presently homeless and the toys were on it.

“You would have thought someone would have knocked on my door, but I was never told I would have to remove anything.”

Ms Lindsay said she had tried to recover the removed items, which collectively cost around £700, but they had simply “disappeared into thin air”.

“No one knows where it all went,” she groaned.

“The council say it has all been demolished, but I spoke to a guy from the Friarton recycling centre and he told me nothing like it ever showed up there.

“They’ve been trying to figure out where it all went, but all I know from neighbours is council staff came out and picked the things up.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has just taken the sofa away for themselves.

“The only warning I got was when I left my boy’s digger at the bottom of the stairs and a card came telling me to remove it.

“A resident upstairs who is a private tenant also lost some things the same day.

“You save all year round to give the kids what you can, then this happens.

“It is sickening.”

Yesterday, a PKC spokeswoman told the PA that council tenants are required to keep common stairs, landings and closes clean and tidy.

“We have experienced ongoing issues with dumping in this particular stairwell, and a housing officer has visited regularly to check on the situation and warn residents that it was not acceptable,” she said.

“Dumping in stairwells presents a serious fire, and health and safety risk.

“The block concerned was recently inspected and a large number of items were found outside a number of flats including that of the tenant in question.

“A card was put through their doors asking them to remove their items, however they failed to do so.

“Community wardens visited the block last weekend and noted a range of items on several of the landings, including bags of rubbish, scrap wood and other materials which constituted a considerable fire hazard and risk to residents' health and safety.

“As a result, immediate steps were taken to remove and dispose of all the items from the landings.

“The council has a duty to consider the safety of all its tenants when checking common areas in blocks of flats, and would ask residents not to leave personal property on landings.”