Handyman Mark Dickinson is still waiting to hear whether council chiefs will claim responsibility for the accident.

The collision happened when Mr Dickinson was reversing his car – and was shocked to see the industrial bin hurtling towards him.

"I just saw it sailing towards me – it was going pretty quickly," he said. "It caught on the kerb, fell over and crashed into the front of my car. It got itself hooked into the metal grilles and that is how it caused the damage."

The panels on the front of the car were dented and the light guard was pulled out of shape. Paintwork was also scratched in the collision which happened on a sidestreet near The Band restaurant in Victoria Road.

Mr Dickinson added: "It was a bit of a shock but I was more concerned about what would happen if it hit a child or elderly person.

"Business bins are really heavy, even when they're empty like this one, and it could have really hurt them."

Passers-by helped Mr Dickinson put the bin back onto the pavement and they examined the bin's brakes – only to find out that they did not work.

"I know the council's short of money," said Mr Dickinson. "But surely they must have a policy about checking the brakes on their bins."

The angry businessman contacted Scarborough Council 30 minutes after the accident. They told him they would send out a claims form – which he said he was still waiting for.

He fumed: "I've been for two estimates for the repairs and the lowest one was £918 plus VAT," he said. "That's a lot of money for something that wasn't my fault at all. I went back to finish the job at The Band the following day and the same bin was loose again."

Steve Reynolds, Scarborough Council's environment manager, said! The bin in question is stored out of the way at the back of the business's property.

"We empty it every Monday and always follow procedure by ensuring it is returned to the same area and the brake is properly engaged.

"At all other times it is the responsibility of the business owner to ensure the bin is kept safe and secure, and I cannot comment on the bin's movements from the Monday to the Tuesday when Mr Dickinson said the incident occured.

"Of course once we receive more information about the incident, we will be able to investigate the matter further."