A SPATE of 'bin raiding' incidents has led to a warning to residents to take precautions against identity theft.

Council officials in Hartlepool said commercial bins in parts of the town's marina had been targeted in recent weeks, and refuse crews had reported similar incidents in the Fens area.

Hartlepool Council's community safety and waste teams have now joined forces to try to tackle the issue.

Waste and environmental services team leader Helen Beaman said: "Aside from the obvious security issues, this is also causing a significant environmental problem as the bin raiders leave behind a lot of mess after emptying bins out on to the street in their search for information."

Victim services officer Lorna Hilton advised householders to shred all letters or documents containing sensitive information and said identity theft could lead to problems getting credit until the matter was sorted out.