BIN strike extremists are warning business owners against clearing the streets of rubbish – by sending them postcards with hippos on.

A group going under the name of the ‘Brighton and Hove Talibin’ has sent bizarre postcards to two shops in George Street, Hove, after they featured in The Argus for cleaning the street outside during the bin strike.

The cards warn the recipients not to take away any rubbish or risk being “brought to account”.

The hippo-fronted cards read: “Please do not take away any rubbish.

We intend to bring down this corrupt council at all costs and take over.

“We are making a list and when this war is over and we have won we shall examine the list.

“Those against us shall be brought to account.

“Brighton and Hove Talibin.”

Billy Kent, of Rainbow Flowers in George Street, received his postcard yesterday morning.

The Argus:

Last week during the bin strike, he cleaned parts of George Street by collecting rubbish and taping black bags to the walls so shoppers could dispose of their waste.

The day after, he hired a van and took all the rubbish to a recycling centre.

He said: “I don’t know whether it’s a joke or not. It makes you not want to help in the future. It’s very weird and a bit frightening if I’m honest.

“It was never our intention to annoy anyone or undermine the strikers. I just wanted to make sure our business wasn’t being affected by filthy streets.”

Nando Di Napoli, owner of the Caffe Bar Italia Di Napoli, said: “I fully supported the bin workers during their strike. I was just cleaning up outside my cafe. I don’t care about silly cards.

It doesn’t bother me.”

It appears the culprit behind the odd postcards has struck before.

In 2009 Brighton man George Mower appeared on the front page of The Argus after he received a postcard bearing a pig.

The card warned him that faeces would be put through his door after he complained about Cityclean bin men.

Two other residents also received the vile cards – which appear to have the same handwriting as the 2013 versions.

The Argus:

Brighton and Hove City Council said it wasn’t prepared to comment on the Talibin threat.

Inspector Jason Hazzard, of Hove Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We will view the contents of the postcard to identify if an offence has been committed. If one has then it will be investigated.”