A former bin man has signed on as the new chief executive of Central Bedfordshire Council. Richard Carr started last week, after joining from Wolverhampton City Council, where was the chief executive for three years. He said: ‘When I graduated in 1981, jobs were few and far between, and collecting the bins was my lucky break. Not much recycling took place in those days, and many households still used the big metal bins that you had to lift on to your shoulder. ‘But I learned useful lessons about how important it is to involve those at the frontline if you want to improve a service.'