A COMEDIAN failed to see the funny side when Bournemouth council refused to take responsibility for one of its bins colliding with his car.

Robert Taylor, of Malmesbury Park Road, Bournemouth, was left with a bill of between £500 and £800 when a gust of wind blew an unsecured council bin into his car, which was parked on Wimborne Road, Winton.

He filed a claim with the council’s insurer but was amazed to be told that the council would not be paying up.

The letter from Zurich Insurance said the bin had been emptied five days before and workers were “adamant” they secured the brakes afterwards.

It suggested unknown culprits had tampered with the bin inbetween collections and so the council could not accept responsibility for the damage to his car.

Mr Taylor, 57, said: “I was gutted.

The fact is if my car hadn’t been there, that bin would have gone careering into the road and could have caused a fatal accident or knocked somebody over.

“To me it’s their responsibility, it’s their bin and it’s on their land.

Plus I’ve been back twice and on both occasions it has just been secured by its own brakes. I’ve told the council that but they were not concerned.”

Joy Postings, service director for law and governance, said in a statement: “The circumstances of claims brought against the council are fully investigated.

“The outcome of such investigations is provided to the council’s insurers who respond with a decision on legal liability for any incident.

“That process has been followed in this case and a detailed response has been sent to the claimant by the council’s insurers.”