HUNDREDS of angry boaters have signed a petition calling for bins at The Bridge Inn at Horton, near Devizes to be re-instated.

More than 400 people have signed the petition that was presented to Wadworth Brewery on Wednesday.

The Kennet and Avon Boaters' Action Group say it is angry that both the brewery and the Canal & River Trust have ignored an earlier petition that was handed over in November.

Tempers started to fray last year when pub landlord Matt Smith closed the bin compound used by boaters who moor near his premises.

Boaters accused him of unreasonable behaviour over the closure of the bins.

But Mr Smith said Wadworth had no choice but to close the rubbish areas and for him to put up gates on his car park as he had been inundated with fly tipping.

He said: "The agreement over the bin compound was between Wadworth and the Canal & River Trust. It was Wadworth that decided it should be closed. I put up the gates as fly tipping has been getting worse and worse since new regulations for commercial rubbish were imposed at the recycling centre on Hopton Industrial Estate."

A spokesman for the boaters association said this week: "In the past few days Wadworths has offered an alternative site for smaller bins, but putting this offer into practice relies on Canal & River Trust including the new site in its bin collection schedule.

"The petition was originally presented to the Canal & River Trust in November but no response has been received from the Trust."

The petition says: "Living or holidaying on a canal boat means you rely on the facilities provided at the canalside, such as rubbish bins, water taps, temporary and permanent moorings and sometimes car parking.

"Until recently, the Bridge Inn at Horton, Wiltshire was the site of rubbish bins, a water tap and a car park that boaters could use as well as long-term and visitor moorings. The rubbish bins were provided by the navigation authority Canal & River Trust on land owned by Wadworths Brewery.

"On 1st August 2018 Canal & River Trust informed boaters that the bins at the Bridge Inn, Horton would be closed until further notice due to Wadworths Brewery withdrawing its consent for the bin site. We are extremely concerned about the effect on boaters, especially those who live aboard, of removing yet another essential facility on the Kennet and Avon Canal."

"The petition signatories have been extremely concerned about the effect on boaters, especially those who live aboard, of removing yet another essential facility on the Kennet and Avon Canal."

A spokesman for Wadworth said: "We are currently in discussions with representatives of the boaters and the Canal River Trust to try and reach a solution that is suitable for all concerned."

A Canal & River Trust spokesman said: “As the charity that cares for the canal we want to make sure boaters have access to bins, however our challenge is that we don’t always own the land adjacent to the water on which bins are or can be situated, as is the case with the Bridge Inn.

"We will continue to work with boaters and land owners to identify sites along the canal that are suitable for bins.”