ANGRY householders whose dustbins were destroyed by arsonists have been told they must pay Kirklees Council for a replacement.
Seven wheeled bins were burned out in Tolson Crescent, at Dalton, last Thursday.
Firefighters from Huddersfield were called out at about 2am to deal with the fires.
The bins had been left out on Wednesday night, ready for collection on Thursday morning.
Mrs Mary Littlewood, 75, had her wheeled bin destroyed.
She has now been told she can get a smaller replacement bin for free, or pay £11.75 for a bin the same size as the old one.
Mrs Littlewood said it was unfair that residents have to pay for the damage.
She said: "It is a bit off when it's not your fault. A smaller one is no good to us, we put a lot of rubbish out.
"I'm not going to buy one, I'll just get a cheap ordinary dustbin because it will only get set on fire again."
Mrs Littlewood said no bins had been burned in Tolson Crescent before, but it had happened in nearby streets.
She said: "It's ridiculous. It's a waste of the council's money and our money.
"Something has to be done about these vandals. What mothers are letting their kids out at 2am so they can get up to no good?"
A spokeswoman from the council's environmental waste department said bins were replaced by the council if they were lost, stolen or damaged.
She confirmed that a charge of £11.75 was made for delivery of a new standard sized grey bin.
She said charging for large bins and offering free smaller ones was part of the council's drive to encourage recycling.
A smaller grey bin can be used in conjunction with a green bin for recyclable materials.
The grey bin is collected weekly and the green bin monthly.
The spokeswoman said: "The charge is waived if you will accept a smaller bin - 180 litres instead of 240 litres.
"It's to encourage people to recycle. If you use your green bin correctly it is almost impossible to fill a larger capacity grey bin."
