Terror has struck a suburban Bickley street. Residents have been shaken to the core and neighbourhood cats are on edge as peace has been disturbed in this formerly tranquil area.
Walking down Blackbrook Lane last week you would have seen leafy trees lining one side, edging a field of daisies and freshly mown grass. The other side had happy houses full of happy people. Cats strolled along the pavement, weaving in and out of autumnal leaves that gave a calmness to the area. But, in the weeks leading up to Halloween, true horror emerged. Trees now seem limp and colourless. Residents are cautious and upset. Cats stay inside, alert and afraid.
It was Monday 17th October. Mr and Mrs Lewis had their dustbin stolen.
‘I usually put the bins out on Sunday night’, starts Mrs Lewis, 78, shaking from emotion in her fluffy cream slippers as she recalled the horror. ‘Then I wake up in the morning and look outside to the comfort of empty bins lining the pavement. But, on Monday, they weren’t there. I didn’t notice at first, but something seemed wrong when I looked outside. I felt cold and empty, and the street seemed too quiet. I realised when I went outside to take in the bin that it wasn’t there.’ Emotion overcomes Mrs Lewis and she pauses, perhaps reminiscing the magnificent jet black bin, so cruelly taken from her possession.
She called on her neighbours to ask whether someone had accidently taken her bin, but, alas, no one had. Her Monday had been ruined. She could not concentrate on her crossword, being consumed by the loss of her dustbin. Mr Lewis, 80, was equally perturbed when he came home from his morning walk. Who could have been so heartless as to steal such a vital item?
Investigation is in progress, but for the moment we advise residents to watch their bins carefully, and urge readers walking down the street to watch out for unusual activity. This truly is a horrible misfortune, but our thoughts are with the Lewises and we wish them luck in their search for a new dustbin.
Written by Imogen Duke
