Dumped shopping trolleys are a real nuisance in various parts of Reading. The Green Party has asked the Council to consider adopting legislation that will give them the powers to remove, store and dispose of trolleys.

Abandoned trolleys are a problem because they block roads and paths, they make an area look untidy and when they get into rivers not only are they a hazard for river users, but they collect rubbish and act like mini dams, worsening flooding.

As this legislation allows a local authority to charge the owner of the abandoned trolley for removal, storage and disposal, this is also a possible source of income for the Council.

The Green Party have been campaigning on this issue for a while. They have organised trolley clear ups and pressured Tesco on this issue. This has resulted in Tesco collecting more of the trolleys from Newtown, but a significant number are still left lying around for weeks on end if not longer.

Green campaigner Rob White, who has been working to ease the problem of dumped trolleys in the Newtown area, said:

"I would really like to see the Council looking into adopting this legislation because abandoned trolleys are a real pain in the Newtown area."

"As this legislation allows councils to charge for the removal, storage and disposal of trolleys, it should give supermarkets a real incentive to be more responsible for their neighborhoods, and to encourage their customers to do the same. It also means that adopting this legislation will hopefully not cost the Council any extra money and may even generate funds which could be used to improve local services."