The company, LJ's Services Limited, was founded by Lawrence Stephenson and his wife Janice three years ago, and from a one wheelie bin start, they now clean domestic and commercial bins throughout East Lothian, Edinburgh and Fife, with an annual turnover in the region of f 130,000.

Lawrence, a Londoner who has settled in Prestonpans, said: "Wheelie bins do not get a good press, but it is big business and growing all the time to meet government refuse and recycling targets. The size of the market is difficult to ascertain, but I would suggest that in the UK, there are more than 500 companies in the business with a total
turnover of around f20 million a year.

"But there are many unlicensed operators around and there is a need for strict regulation.

Let's face it - wheelie bins are smelly and dirty and are homes for germs and vermin if they are not cleaned properly. This is a public health issue."

LJ's Services, operating under the logo of Happy Bins, is based at 9 Elphinstone Road, Tranent, employs eight people and has three specially-designed vehicles which each can clean up to 400 two-wheeled binsor 150 four-wheeled bins a day.

The company is recognised by,1 Scottish Environmental Protection Agel and is a member of the Essex-based National Association of Wheeled l Washers which monitors standards of washing services.

The LJ plan now is to design even more sophisticated cleaning vans and franchise the system in Europe and America.

Laurence explained: "That is the plan going forward. We can hardly send out vehichles from Tranent each day to clean bins abroad but we can franchise the system we have developed."

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