SUPERMARKETS and other companies in Droitwich could face charges for leaving shopping trolleys abandoned in the town.

Wychavon District Council has proposed charging companies £100 to collect the first abandoned trolley, and £50 for each subsequent one under the Environmental Protection Act.

If the owners fail to collect their trolleys and pay the bill incurred, they will then be disposed of.

The decision has been sparked by a rise in complaints from Wychavon residents and councillors about abandoned shopping trolleys left in streets, ditches, streams, and ponds, at an estimated cost of £3,000.

At the moment Wychavon doesn’t have the power to charge for the recovery of the trolleys, and as a result it mainly focuses on removing the trolleys blocking waterways, which might be a potential flooding risk, and just encouraging owners to collect those left elsewhere.

Councillors entered into a six-week consultation at a recent meeting of the executive board, on the introduction of charges, and once the consultation is complete, the results will be reported back in September with the possibility of introducing charges before the end of the year.

Councillor Emma Stokes, portfolio holder for environment and street scene on Wychavon District Council, said: “Abandoned shopping trolleys have a huge impact on the environment. We hope not to have to use these powers as we would rather shopping trolley owners took responsibility for their property. However if they won’t, then it’s totally unfair for local taxpayers to be picking up the bill and only right we should be able to charge them accordingly.

“Unfortunately that can’t happen overnight as there are some legal steps we are obliged to take. That’s why it’s important people take part in the consultation to let us know how abandoned shopping trolleys are impacting on the area they live in and whether or not they support our approach.”

To take part in the consultation visit wychavon.gov.uk/abandoned-shopping-trolleys and complete the online survey. Paper copies are available from the Community Contact Centres in Evesham, Droitwich and Pershore. The consultation will be running until Friday, August 21.