COLCHESTER residents are being warned of garden waste scams after a reported incident in the city.

A report made to the council's customer service scheme said a scammer was posing as a council officer going door-to-door, selling fake garden waste subscriptions for cash.

Colchester Council has reminded residents it never sells permits or bins in person, by text, or email, and does not accept cash.

Subscribing to the fortnightly garden waste service can be done through the council’s website or by calling the Customer Service team and can only be paid via direct debit when registering for the service.

The sign-up period runs from April 1 to March 31 every year, but residents can subscribe at any time of the year.

Councillor responsible for waste, neighbourhood services and leisure, Martin Goss, said:  “We have been made aware that an individual is posing as a council officer in a high visibility jacket and is selling fake garden waste subscription service stickers and bins to Colchester residents. This is a scam.

“It is a terrible shame that we are having to share this message, but please ignore this person and report the incident to the police as soon as possible.”