Locals warned off ‘Mick’ the mystery trash man

ILLEGAL flyers advertising waste collection services in the Sandyford/Ballyogan area are being delivered to homes by a man known only as ‘Mick’.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council issued a warning about the flyers this week to stop locals leaving household items outside their homes for collection, as Mick does not have a permit to operate his service.
The flyer advertises collection services for items such as TVs, hair dryers, washing machines and phones. The ad does stress that rubbish will not be collected.
The Council said that it’s illegal for this waste collection service to be operating in the area, adding that it “is an offence to hand over control of your waste to anyone other than a permitted waste collector.”
If anyone is found guilty of handing their waste over to illegal waste collection services they may be prosecuted.
The Gazette rang Mick this week and he told us he didn’t realise he needed a permit to collect waste in the area.
Asked if he would continue to operate his service in the locality, Mick, who refused to give his surname, said: “The lad from the Council rang me today about my service. I won’t be able to go out and collect waste now. I don’t have a permit you see. I might apply for a permit but I don’t know how you go about it. I’ll probably get onto them.”
He added: “I’m going to have to stop now unless . . . what do you have to get rid of anyway?”
Cllr Emma Blain (FG) said: “Despite using very convincing leaflets, these collections are a complete scam and are illegal.
“These bogus collectors have often been found to be involved in criminal gangs, in the sale of counterfeit clothing and acts of illegal dumping.”
Cllr Deirdre Donnelly (Ind) said: “In this instance many householders believe that they are handing over items for recycling and are doing so in good faith. In reality they are encouraging these bogus collectors to continue this practice elsewhere and return to their area again in the future.”
She added: “I would like to see more awareness out there in relation to illegal waste collections and dumping.”