A dog owner says a child could have been killed by a broken bin lid that fell and broke his pet’s leg.
Ollie, a ten-and-a-half-month-old cocker spaniel, had his leg broken in three places when the heavy metal lid dropped on him.
Owner Richard Coyne was walking Ollie in Inshes Park in Inverness and opened the bin next to a children’s play area to deposit a dog poo bag.
The bin lid is normally secured by a safety chain which had broken.
Dog was in ‘real distress’
The UHI Inverness lecturer said: “I lifted the lid, dropped the poo bag in and let the handle go thinking it would just shut.
“But it shot straight off the back. The dog had run back to my feet and the bin lid fell right on top of him.
“He was in real distress and was obviously seriously hurt, but we didn’t know how badly at that point.
“It was also very distressing for me as I couldn’t lift him as he was too sore.”
Eventually, with the help of his wife, he managed to get Ollie in the car and took him to the vets.
The dog is expected to require regular treatment over the next four to six weeks.
Mr Coyne added: “The bin was about 10ft from the toddlers’ play area.
“If that had been someone with a toddler, the toddler would have been killed with the weight of the lid.
“It’s a quarter inch steel plate and obviously designed to stop it blowing open when the weather is poor.
Park bin chain was broken
“It’s got a safety chain on it, but the chain was broken off and not attached to the wooden bin frame.
“Both hinges were off, whether that was just kids vandalising it, I don’t know.
Mr Coyne said he reported the issue to local councillor Ken Gowans due to concerns about the danger posed by the damaged bin lid.
He added: “My friends have wee kids and that was more in my head that anything else.”
Mr Coyne said Ollie’s age should help him recover well from the injuries.
Highland Council has apologised and agreed to pay for the vet’s bills, expected to run into thousands of pounds.
It has repaired the bin which will also be replaced.
“The council has been very quick to respond I have to say, and will cover the bills,” said Mr Coyne.
Councillor Gowans said: “This was a really awful incident. My first concern is for Ollie, but it could have been even worse.
Call for investigation
“It is absolutely essential that our parks are being regularly monitored and maintained so that they are safe for everyone.
“I’ve asked for the council to conduct a full investigation into this.”
A council spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that Highland Council has been in contact with, and apologised to, a dog owner whose pet was injured at Inshes Park.
“The council has apologised and agreed to pay all vet bills.
“The bin has been repaired and made safe and will be replaced as soon as possible.”
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