Removing locks from Morrisons trolleys has been a disaster, with Dover becoming a dumping ground for them, says town mayor Pam Brivio.

The trolleys have been littering the town since Morrisons decided to remove the locks in July this year. The idea was to make shopping trips quicker and easier.

The scheme had been trialled in other Morrisons stores throughout the country.

The Bridge Street store is in the Tower Hamlets ward Cllr Brivio represents on the district council. Cllr Brivio has now protested to Morrisons’ Dover store manager Lyn Hackett.

In a letter, she says: “I’ve seen trolleys abandoned all across Dover and while I appreciate that Morrisons wanted to encourage people to use their store, I’m afraid it has been a disaster.

“I spoke to a Morrisons employee last week and he thought up to 100 trolleys have been lost in just a few months, which must have cost them an awful lot of money, as well as affecting how people view the town.”

Cllr Brivio has called for the store to consider putting the locks back to tackle the problem.

The River Dour, Elms Vale recreation ground and Folkestone Road are the most popular dumping grounds.

A Facebook page called Morrisons Dover Trolley Watch has been set up to document the exploits of the errant supermarket shopping carts.

The page has grown in popularity as more of the trolleys have been seen in Dover.

Cllr Brivio added: “They do not give a very good impression of the town. I’ve written to the manager because we need to have the locks back on the trolleys. I’m hoping to hear back from her about it soon.”

It has been estimated that the lost trolleys are costing the company around £10,000.

To read Morrison's reaction and the full report, pick up a copy of this week's Mercury, out now.