A WARNING has been issued over teenagers stealing bins and setting them on fire.

Residents in Smithills have experienced an increase in bins being taken over the past few weeks.

In a forest near to the site of the thefts, people have found molten plastic and remains of wheels.

CCTV captured two youths taking bins from outside a house in Raveden Close in Smithills.

People are now being warned to keep their bins secure over worries it could escalate.

Duncan Aldred, who lives in Raveden Close, was away last weekend when he received a phone call from his wife saying that the bins had been taken.

He said: "It looks like they are taking the bins and setting fire to them in the forest. If you go to the forest, there is molten plastic and wheels and stuff where the kids are doing it."

Fortunately, a neighbour saw the youths take the bins, and when they left them on a street corner she went out and brought them back in to the close.

Mr Aldred, aged 43, who works for Sky installing TV and broadband, said: "A lot of people have had their bins taken. There was the time people were putting bins against the door and setting fire to them. I just don't want it to escalate and it has already got pretty bad."

CCTV footage from his house shows two different teenagers, one with his hood up and a bag, coming to get the bins from outside his property.

One of them wheels the bin away while the other one carries it.

Mr Aldred wanted to warn other residents about it especially as Bonfire Night approaches.

A police spokesman said: "At about 10.45pm on Saturday, September 23, police received a report that bins had been stolen from a driveway in Raveden Close in Bolton.

"They were later discovered on another street.

"No one has been arrested.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 2418 23/09/17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."