WHEELIE bins have been used by burglars to ransack homes, sparking police warnings for residents to hide them.

The cautionary call was issued via the Neighbourhood Watch OWL messaging service, amid mounting concern over crooks clambering on bins to access windows.

A home in The Causeway, Potters Bar, was burgled on Monday last week, and the cat burglars are believed to have used a wheelie bin to go over a side gate and force entry at the back of the property.

And a similar case was reported last month in Borehamwood.

But despite the message one man, Dave Marques, who commented on a Facebook group called Welwyn Hatfield Missed Bins Action Group, derided the idea of hiding his three large wheelie bins.

He told the WHT: “This one made me chuckle, I mean three bloody great wheelie bins, make that bloody great smelly wheelie bins, and we’re supposed to keep them out of sight.

“Any cunning burglar could always wheel one into place anyway couldn’t he? It was meant well, but honestly.”

A police spokeswoman said: “It is fairly unusual but certainly possible for burglars to use them [bins].

“If residents can do so, it is best to keep their bins out of sight, even locked inside a shed or garage if at all possible.

“Obviously this isn’t always practicable but, as I said, incidents are rare – and it’s just one of those additional advice messages that are good to do if you possibly can – but not to say that if you can’t take these measures that your home is more at risk of being burgled.”