Paul Strickland, 30, a refuse lorry driver from Salford, has been charged with stealing 8,225 rolls of biodegradable food waste bags.

An investigation by the Salford City Council’s internal audit team found that 8,200 rolls of the food waste bags, containing more than 1.5 million individual bags, were missing.

The biodegradable waste bags are provided to local residents for free, for use in food recycling caddies that are collected weekly.

As part of the council’s collection scheme, residents of Salford can receive additional food waste caddy bags for free by tying an empty liner to their bin on collection day. Extra rolls will then be left when the collection is carried out.

It has been alleged that Strickland made more than £11,500 from selling the rolls on internet auction site eBay at £1.40 each.

He faces one charge of theft by an employee, with estimates that between December 2014 and May 2015 he stole 8,225 rolls of bin liners at a cost to the council of £5,551.

Strickland has been bailed, but is due to appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (12 August).

A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Police confirmed the charge to the Manchester Evening News: “A man has been charged after a theft in Salford. Paul Strickland, 30, of Bolton Road, Worsley, has been charged with theft by an employee.

“On 29 June 2015, police received a report that a significant number of compost waste bags had been stolen from an organisation in Weaste, Salford.”

Read more about Salford Council’s collection system.