Mystery surrounds the curious disappearance of two dog poo bins from Herne Bay.

Confused council officers do not know whether thieves stole them, or if they have been removed by villagers who want to repair them.

While one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure, someone’s desire to pinch a bin full of dog waste has been questioned by Herne and Broomfield parish councillor Andy Harvey.

“They are mysteriously disappearing in Broomfield - no one knows what’s happened,” he said.

“The one outside the community park went and then the one in Bogshole Lane.

“I don’t understand why you’d want to steal dog poo bins, or see why anyone would remove them.

“They’re both popular dog walking spots and now walkers have nowhere to put the waste, so people are dumping them.”

Canterbury City Council, which is responsible for managing the district’s dog waste bins, says it has no idea why they have gone missing and will replace one of them.

Spokesman Rob Davies said: “We’re grateful to the parish council for making us aware that two dog poo bins have disappeared.

“These extra eyes and ears on the ground are very helpful and mean we can respond to problems much more quickly.

“The bin in Bogshole Lane will be replaced. The one at the community park may not be, as there is already a litter bin there and dog poo bags can be put in ordinary bins.

“Many people are unaware that dog poo bags can be put in normal litter bins, but they can be and we would encourage people to do this, or take them home and use their own bin if there is not one close by.”

With more than 1,500 litter, dog poo and cigarette bins across the district, the council says it is “inevitable” problems will sometimes arise.

If anyone spots an overflowing or broken bin, they can report it online at canterbury.gov.uk.

Read more: All the latest news from Herne Bay