DURBAN North SAPS have arrested a scrap collector who had been placing and throwing soft drink cans on the M4. The man, who collects cans for scrap, was allegedly throwing cans off the pedestrian bridge just before the Virginia off-ramp and had also placed cans across another section of the Ruth First Highway.

What is more station spokesman, Capt Raymond Deokaran, said they had received several complaints from motorists about cans placed across the hairpin bend. The man explained to police he had been placing several cans across the busy road for cars to crush, in order to save him from doing the physical work.

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“Motorists had complained that it was hazardous especially as some had seen the man throw several cans from his trolley onto the freeway. He was also throwing cans off the pedestrian bridge over the M4 to allow cars to crush the cans. He would then collect the cans when traffic had died down. We felt it was dangerous as the cans could hit a motorists’ windscreen. Placing so many cans on the hairpin bend could also potentially cause an accident. The man argued he was throwing the cans when there was very little traffic but we explained the hazards ,” he said.

Police, along with security personnel and ward councillors also discovered several shacks in the bushes along the M4 in a cordon-and-search operation. The informal dwellings were also found on Old Mill Way as well as the hairpin bend on joining the M41 to the M4 and near the La Lucia taxi rank.

“We found several items which we believe may have been stolen including car keys, DVDs and household ornaments. We also arrested three vagrants in the area.”

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