A STROKE victim hit three times by wheelie bin thieves has criticised Bradford Council for its rules on rubbish collection.

Former print worker Nigel Holdsworth suffered a serious brain bleed nearly two years ago which left him without the use of his right arm and a permanent brace on his right leg.

The once-fit 54-year-old, who used to cycle daily to work in Greengates, now struggles to walk and can only do so with the aid of stick.

And so after their wheelie bin was stolen for the second time last year, Mr Holdsworth's wife Wendy emailed Bradford Council to ask for it to be replaced in the garden of their home in Glenwood Avenue, Baildon, after emptying.

They were told that was not possible, and now their bin has been stolen again.

Mr Holdsworth said: "The problem is that I can't move the empty bin back on my own, so it has to sit outside until Wendy gets home.

"I struggle to walk and have broken my arm by losing balance and falling.

"However the Council say that because there is one able-bodied person at our address, they won't help out."

"It's infuriating as the bin would only need to be moved a few feet to be safely in our garden."

Mr Holdsworth told how he was still trying to get back to fitness.

"Before the stroke I was very active, cycled to work, had played a lot of rugby and had never smoked.

"Then one night I woke up unable to move my right side.

"It was an aneurysm, a brain bleed and it's left me in a condition which is unlikely to change, but you never know."

Friends have provided spare bins to replace those stolen outside the Holdsworths' home, thus saving them the £35 replacement charge - times three.

"People have had spare bins at second homes which they've kindly given us.

"The problem is the circle of people having one pinched, then pinching another to replace it and I think that's what's happened with us," said Mr Holdsworth.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "We have written to Mr Holdsworth to explain that assisted waste collection arrangements are only available for residents who do not have an able-bodied person living in the household with them."