SIBLINGS have sent a message of thanks to the people collecting the bins during lockdown.

Lorena (17) and Christopher Blanchard-Varty (10), of Hexham, wanted to get a message of thanks to the Northumberland waste disposal workers who have been carrying out their rounds as normal during the coronavirus outbreak.

Their mother, Karen, said that it was easy to forget the important role the workers played during times of crisis, particularly when the excellent work of NHS staff and emergency services workers were rightly being praised throughout the country.

Karen said: “We did this as we lived many years in Spain and saw first hand the results of a bin strike. It was terrible.

“So thanks to these amazing guys still working through this, it’s something we don’t have to worry about on top of our present situation.”