Coun Geoff Richardson, of Easingwold, with the dog bin which has been mistaken for a post box

Confusion is reigning in a North Yorkshire market town after the installation of a new dog waste bin that looks remarkably like a post box.

There is such a resemblance that letters have even been found in the pillar-box red bin in Easingwold.

Easingwold town councillor Geoff Richardson said when he heard about the situation he jumped in his car to seek out the offending scarlet bin.

Coun Richardson said today: "I must admit that from a distance it could be mistaken for a post box. Anyone with impaired vision could well mistake it.

"It's a bit silly really because all our waste bins are green. This red one sticks out like a sore thumb.

"The colour indicates it's a post box and it's even mounted on a pole. I cannot understand why it has been put up because it goes against all the rest of the area."

Hambleton District Council puts up green dog waste bins around the town and said it understood that the red bin had been supplied by house builders Persimmon, which is building a new estate on the site of the old Claypenny Hospital.

Steve Metcalfe, the council's community services manager, said: "Our understanding is that it is the developers' bin. It's certainly not the type that we would put up.

"But we have no powers to tell them what they can and can't do."

However, he said that once the roads were "adopted" and became the council's responsibility, and then it would be able to install its own dog waste bins.

No-one was available for comment at Persimmon today.

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