YOUTHS are stealing wheeled bins from outside Keighley houses and torching them during early-hours anti-social rampages.

Some of the plastic bins are later found burned out in the nearby Ingrow Lane skate park, disgruntled residents have claimed.

They say up to ten bins have been taken between 2am and 3am during the past three weekends, with some householders being repeatedly targeted after buying replacements.

The latest incident in the ‘Jewel Box’ neighbourhood was caught on the CCTV camera outside Bracken Bank Stores in Ingrow Lane.

Shop owner, David Mortimer, uploaded his film to Facebook to warn residents of nearby streets to be vigilant.

And the footage was this week being viewed by police keen to catch the culprits.

Mr Mortimer said he had managed to salvage his own bin in working order, but neighbours in streets such as Opal, Emerald and Pearl Street had not been so lucky.

He added: “Youths are stealing bins left, right and centre, if they’re not chained up.

"The remains are in the skate park – just blobs on the floor.”

Mr Mortimer stressed the youths, believed to be aged at least 18, were not “bone fide” users of the skate park, whom he said were well-behaved and left the park once darkness fell.

Cllr Brian Morris, who represents Keighley West ward on Bradford Council, this week spoke to some of the residents whose bins had been taken.

He said: “These bins have to be replaced at £33 a shot.

"If it happens to a single parent family, what are they going to do?

“The residents have an idea who these chaps are. Information has been passed to the police.

“It’s childish. There doesn’t seem to be a logic at all.”

Fellow district councillor, Cath Bacon, said: “It’s a sad indictment of our times that we have this anti-social behaviour.

"People need to be encouraged to come forward and report it.

“I will raise the issue with Bradford Council’s ward officers and Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector Rhees-Cooper to see if we can get some dedicated patrols.”

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins urged residents to identify the youths in the CCTV footage to police, so the perpetrators could be “named, shamed and punished severely”.

He added: “The skate park is a popular facility and the young people who use it deserve better, as do the local business owners and residents affected.”

Sgt Tany Ditta, from the Keighley NPT, said that in the past six weeks, only three bin thefts had been reported to police in the Ingrow area.

He added: “If people get their bin stolen and are having to pay £30 to replace them, we need to know about it, then we can act to stop it happening.

"The public needs to be aware to take precautions, including putting their house number and postcode on their bin.”

Sgt Ditta also suggested people keep their bin out of sight in the garage, shed or garden and, if necessary, securing them to their house with a chain or bike lock.

Anyone with information about the theft should contact police on the non-emergency number of 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.