THURROCK councillors have welcomed a plan to tackle abandoned shopping trollies in the borough.

Around 400 are reported as being dumped each month that has prompted Thurrock Council to take punitive action against the stores that provide them each month.

The scheme was previously highlighted on Thurrock Nubs News and when a report came before councillors this week, the authority's strategic lead for cleaning and greening addressed councillors.

Speaking at the cleaner, greener overview and scrutiny committee meeting Vincent Taylor, said: "There are approximately 20 shopping trollies a day that are being abandoned on our streets and housing estates in Thurrock amounting to 400 a month. The council can adopt powers to enable it to collect trollies from land open to the public, return them to the owner and recover reasonable costs.

"What this does give us is a mechanism by which I'm hopeful that we will get compliance from the stores. It's not a money-making scheme on our part. I would like it to be a victim of its own success in that once the stores have been charged for a number of trollies, they put in place measures to stop those trollies being taken away from the premises."

Committee chair Cllr Joy Redsell, said: "Whatever we can do. You see it across from Sainsbury's, a big row of them every week. I won't mention where they are but there's a big row of them. If someone wants to go and collect them and they've got a pound in them they've got themselves quite a bit of money. The kids could earn themselves a bit of money."

Sara Muldowney, Labour councillor for Chadwell St Mary, said: "This is a really sensible policy. This is something that is costing us and inconvenient and it's putting the onus back on the stores to manage their trollies rather than leave it to the local authority."

If adopted, the council would be able to recover full costs for their collection, storage and disposal if they are not collected.

It is estimated that each return or disposal would incur a cost of between £120 and £230. The council would charge a collection fee of £70, an administration fee of £35.00 and £15 per week storage for a maximum of six weeks. There would also be a disposal fee £35. Where a retailer agrees a scheme with the council, a set fee of £85 is recommended to have the trolleys returned to store.

The committee supported a consultation with stores and residents.