More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling on authorities in Medway to do more to stop so-called bin raiders.

Residents are angry after an increasing number of people are being spotted rifling through bin bags left out for collection, as well as taking bikes and metal items.

Sallyann Briggs, a nurse manager from Chatham, set up the petition. She said: “I get cheesed off with them walking down our road with their buggies. I can’t believe what I’m actually seeing.

“Two weeks ago I saw a man walking down our road with a bike on his pram which still had a lock on it. We’re reporting it to the police and the council but they’re not getting back to us.”

Mrs Briggs said she was horrified by some of the comments on the petition including one woman who was taking her shopping inside and came back to find men going through the rest of her carrier bags.

A spokesman for Medway Neighbourhood Watch Association said it did seem to be a problem in certain areas of the Medway Towns.

Areas frequently targeted include the Barnsole Road part of Gillingham as well as Luton and Wayfield in Chatham.

She said: “Residents say they put their rubbish out for collection and groups come with wheelbarrows and pushchairs and go through the rubbish.

“They seem to be looking for metal objects because they can sell them on.

“The main problem is in emptying the bags. They disrupt the rubbish in the bags and leave the mess behind them.”

Although the law on this is not clear, the Messenger understands that as the rubbish has been put out for collection it remains under your control until the binmen take it, therefore anyone else taking it is committing theft.

If the items are on private property then this person is also trespassing, and although items may look abandoned they still belong to the landowner.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act came into force in October 2013 and the legislation requires that any persons collecting, buying or selling scrap will require a licence issued by the council.

A council spokesman said: “A licensed collector will display a collector’s licence issued by Medway Council. This should be visible from outside their vehicle.”

Last June, police and council officers took to the streets of Gillingham as part of a joint effort after reports fraudsters had been rifling through Medway bins in order to steal people’s identity.

Sergeant Adam Duke of Kent Police’s Community Safety Unit, said: "We work closely with Medway Council in response to concerns about people attempting to go through rubbish bins in Medway.

"We are aware of recent reports into waste being collected and our investigations have concluded none of these items were stolen.

"We take the issue seriously and would urge residents who think they are a victim of identity fraud and their banking details are being used fraudulently, contact your bank and report the incident to Action Fraud.

"To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, I would urge members of the public to ensure if they are disposing of paperwork containing personal details to shred the documents before placing them in the bin."

For more information about waste collection go to www.medway.gov.uk