No doubt hiring a skip can be a rewarding process, but that didn’t stop staff at Foredowne Kennels being faced with a disaster of cata-strophic proportions.

They noticed a noise coming from a taped-up box inside a skip scheduled to meet the crusher.

After opening the flaps, staff were stunned to find Poppet the cat.

Local publication This Is Devon reported that the white moggy had been abandoned by its owner.

Happily, the cat received medical treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.

The rest of the skip’s contents didn’t live to tell the tale.

Skips can contain valuable items – from computer parts to ornate furniture.

And for one north-east resident, a chance encounter 15 years ago saw his eyes light up – metaphorically with pound signs.

Steve Summers happened to find more than 30 original American wartime propaganda posters in a skip.

The items were stored in his father’s attic, but were recently put up for sale.

Boldon Auction Galleries in South Tyneside agreed to find bidders, with the posters given a price estimate of about £4,000.

According to JournalLive, auctioneer Giles Hodges said: “It is amazing what people will throw away from houses and offices.”

So, the next time you pass a skip, why not peek inside?

One Lancashire town has continued its pro-skips agenda by helping locals get rid of their rubbish in the run-up to Halloween and Bonfire Night.

Chorley Council is holding skip days on October 27^th to allow residents to get rid of unwanted items, rather than burn them.

Previously, the local authority ran the Skip It, Don’t Tip It initiative.

The free community event gave people a chance to recycle cardboard boxes, table legs and tree branches, among other items.

It’s safe to say that Chorley loves a bit of skip hire.

When you’re knocking on heaven’s door, why not follow the lead of one midlands man and leave this planet in a skip-themed coffin?!

Well, maybe not. But those seeking skip hire in Nottingham might be interested to learn that such wackiness has already come to pass.

Vic Fearn and Company – based in the city – received a request from a member of the public to create the spectacular handcrafted beast shown here.

So you’ve been shopping around for prices for skip hire, and to say they vary is putting it mildly.

You ring up one company and are quoted a price with no VAT, then you ring another company and it’s fifty quid more with VAT. So what do you do?

Think smart.

Don’t go with the cheapest skip price. Those type of deals normally end in disaster. A lot of cowboy companies promise the lowest prices – they also normally have the worst service. Go with the company you feel assured with, who asks question about your particular situation and who sound the most professional. If they are more expensive than the other lot – don’t worry. A couple of quid more is a lot better than having a festering skip on your private land for the next six months! Good luck!

Looking for budget skip hire? Before you go searching for the cheapest price, you’ll need to consider that cheapest might not equal the best.

Skip hire involves a number of processes – haulage, service, recycling rates and hire lengths. If any of these are compromised, it can easily create problems. Cheap skip hire can often result in bad service. If you’re going to hire a skip, ring around and go with the company who sound professional, ask questions about your particular situation and have all the right certification.

It will be well worth your while spending a few more pounds knowing that your job is in safe hands.

Someone needed skip hire in Manchester yesterday but made a grave error – they told us that the skip was going on private land. We arrived there this morning, there was no private land. This means one thing and one thing only – problems with the council. All councils across the UK demand that if a skip goes on a road – it needs a skip permit. So unfortunately we had to charge the customer extra – we had to pass the charge on to the customer.

Staff at yummy cosmetics firm Burts Bees have decided to go skip diving with all their waste that was destined for landfill. Skip hire forms a massive part of the company’s refuse, so scrutinising what actually went to landfill made the company rethink their waste management programme. They managed to recycle 50% of what was going to landfill, saving the company $25,000 annually!

Hire a skip for Breast Cancer.

When Hertsmere council delivered a load of pinks skips to their community, they demanded the public fill it with one thing and one thing only: Bras.

In the end they collected a massive 17,193 bras that weighed over a tonne. Why the bra fetish? Well, the plan is to ship them over to under developed countries and give them out to the women who need them.They are also raising money for breast cancer.

Councillor Jean Heywood said, ”By recycling your bras not only will less waste be sent to landfill but women in poorer countries will benefit and you will be helping to fund research into breast cancer.”

Good on you guys. We may look a bit weird throwing a bagful of bras in to a skip, but if it’s for such a great cause, then we’ll have a rummage around our underwear drawers tonight!

Ever think that skip hire was just muck and old tat? Take a look at the guy above, he’s managed to furnish his entire house with furniture and fixtures he’s found in skips. Pretty impressive, eh? The practice, known as Skip Diving is being employed more and more by eco and money conscious individuals. Furniture your life on a shoestring, with a list of dos and don’ts for Skip Diving:

Dress for the mess – A pair of thick gloves is a must. Avoid evening wear and tennis whites

Move fast – Don’t leave a skip until next day – if it’s not gone, anything useful inside it will be

Stay off private property – If you have to jump a fence to get at it, you’re on dangerous territory. CCTV is everywhere these days

If you can’t use it, pass it on – check out places like Freecycle

Scout the best spots – Building-site skips contain rubble, mostly, but some will have usable timber. House clearances are usually the best source of skipped treasure

Read up – The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving , by John Hoffman, an American who’s made a career out of skip-diving

Good luck!