A WOMAN said she was left “shocked” after she was “frogmarched” by a tip worker during a visit to a recycling centre in Bournemouth.

Jill Moore, who lives in Moordown, went to Millhams Community Recycling Centre in Ringwood Road with her mother on Friday to drop off some garden waste.

She then got back into her husband’s truck and was just about to leave when she asked an elderly couple about to drop off a bathroom cabinet if she could take it. The couple agreed and she put it in the truck.

Mrs Moore said the cabinet "didn't even touch the ground". However, she then heard "shouting" and turned to see a man wearing a hi-vis jacket.

"He said ‘We need to apprehend you because we’ve seen you on CCTV attempting to steal council property'," Mrs Moore said.

“I was frogmarched back to my truck and the cabinet was taken from me to be thrown over the wall. For the first time in my life I was silent. I was actually struck dumb.

“The man said, ‘I have to do this.’ He explained to me that if they wanted me to have the cabinet, they would have to drive outside the vicinity and give it to me as otherwise it becomes council property.

“I did feel a tiny bit of embarrassment but I was just shocked. My mother and I talked about it all the way home.

"I do a lot of recycling but the fact that they wanted to smash it up rather than save the planet is just unbelievable. I really didn’t think I was doing anything wrong, it just beggars belief.”

Sarah Speakman-Jones, senior waste officer at Bournemouth council, said: “We’re sorry if the resident felt that she was treated unfairly. Unfortunately, the policy at Millhams is for waste not to be transferred between residents on site.

“The reason for this is because Millhams Household Recycling Centre is a licensed waste site. The council has a duty of care to ensure any waste that comes on to site is managed according to legal guidelines."

Had the transfer of the cabinet taken place away from the site, it "would not have been a problem" as it wouldn't be the council's responsibility, she said.