A householder has criticised Greater Manchester Police after his CCTV captured a patrol car knocking over his bins before driving off. The incident happened on Westholme Road in Didsbury at 8am on Friday.
Residents reported hearing a loud crashing noise as the bin, full of empty bottles, was knocked over. The owner of the bin was in the gym when he was alerted to the noise by his partner back home - he checked his CCTV remotely on his phone and was shocked to discovered a liveried police patrol car was responsible.
The CCTV shows the patrol slow to a halt on Westholme Road before beginning to perform a u-turn. The police car reverses and knocks over two bins.
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As the car pulls away, it stops briefly and then continues with the u-turn manoeuvre. It moves forward up a driveway towards garage doors and then reverses again into Westholme Road before driving off.
The officer left others to right the bins and clean up the mess. The householder who owns the CCTV shared it with the M.E.N. and lodged a formal complaint with Greater Manchester Police.
The man, who did not want to be named, said: "My wife thought it was a car crash outside. The police car has come down the road and reversed into our bins and knocked them over. They've almost crashed into the garage opposite too and then just drove off.
"They were lucky they didn't crash into someone. It was erratic and totally unacceptable. They knock over someone's bins and then go into someone's driveway. If that was me and it was my car, I'm pretty sure somebody would be chasing me down the street.
"My wife rang me and said there's been a car crash outside. I was at the gym. I could not believe it when I checked my CCTV. Didsbury has its problems with crime and every time there's an incident the police are knocking on the door asking for my CCTV, and I give it to them. This is how they re-pay me!
"I'm usually an easy-going kind of person but I'm very annoyed about it. They could have knocked on the door and said sorry and sorted it out. Trust me, they definitely knew what they had done.
"They must have heard. They bins were full of bottles and they were left all over the pavement. My wife had to clean it up."
Greater Manchester Police has been approached for a comment.
