Angry residents react as trolleys are abandoned all over Sidcup

In July last year the supermarket chain removed the locks from their trolleys across the country, which Sidcup Community Group secretary Paul Laundy says has led to the problem.

He told News Shopper: "Is it just me and my members who are sick of the existing sea of litter being added to by shopping trolleys? Nobody else seems concerned. 

"This was a problem everywhere until about 10 years ago when supermarkets found a solution with coin release chains. 

"Morrisons however obviously feel their trolleys are a useful addition to the Sidcup streetscape or useful free advertising so have ripped out this simple and effective mechanism. 

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"Unfortunately the average customer's intellect does not stretch to pushing a pound coin into a pound coin sized slot.

"I would like to suggest that control of devices employed by a commercial enterprise be enforced by planning conditions."

Mr Laundy provided News Shopper with a series of images, taken from around Sidcup and showing how far from the Morrisons store the trolleys have ended up.

He added: "I have not ventured out much recently and suspect the attached images are the tip of the iceberg. 

"I did not have a camera with me when an errant trolley impacted on a parked Nissan at the top of St John’s Road."

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: "We’ve removed more than 150,000 trolley locks at 279 stores nationwide, including at the Sidcup store, because many customers were telling us that they found them inconvenient and time-consuming. 

"Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. 

"As soon as a member of the public alerts us to an abandoned trolley, our store team will collect it as soon as they can."