Disabled grandmother who left cardboard box next to packed recycling bin is slapped with £240 fly-tipping fine

A disabled grandmother was slapped with a £240 fly-tipping fine by her local council after she left a cardboard box next to a recycling bin that was overflowing with rubbish.

Janet Bocci thought she was doing the right thing when she collapsed the box and left it between two black bins as there was no room left inside for it.

However, jobsworth officers from Cambridge County Council later paid a visit to her house after seeing her name and address on the packaging and issued her with a caution and a fine for fly-tipping.

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The grandmother-of-seven thought she was going to be arrested when she answered the door, and she said the whole experience left her feeling like a criminal.

Miss Bocci, who relies on disability benefits due to suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, said: “This man turned up at my door, told me he was from the council and said he wanted to talk to me about fly-tipping.

“I wasn’t aware I had anything to do with fly-tipping so I invited him in. He then told me about this box I had left by the bin which he said was being classed as fly-tipping.

“He read me my rights like a policeman would do. I was completely shocked. I felt like a criminal.”\

The council officer left her house to discuss the matter before returning with a penalty charge notice.

Miss Bocci added: “He didn’t give me the opportunity to appeal it and even when I told him I couldn’t afford the fine he didn’t listen.

“I feel like they have taken advantage of me to make a quick buck.

“I would understand it if I’d left the box in the middle of a street or on a country lane but I tucked it away next to a recycle bin.”

The mum-of-two’s son-in-law contacted the council on her behalf but staff refused to cancel the penalty and he ended up paying for her to avoid the fine shooting up to £400 after ten days.

Mrs Bocci fumed: “The bin should be emptied more often. I shouldn’t have to go backwards and forwards because the bins are full. Everybody has said ‘What a joke’.”

Since May last year, local authorities can now issue fines of between £150 and £400 to those caught in the act of fly-tipping, without having to take them to court.

In January it was revealed that Cambridge City Council had issued nearly £5,000 worth of fines for fly-tipping incidents in the city over the previous eight months.

A spokesperson for Cambridge City Council said: “Tackling fly-tipping is a priority for the council. In 2016 new measures were introduced to deal with small scale fly-tipping, which are applied in line with the councils enforcement policy.

“Anyone unhappy with the service they receive can report their concerns using the council’s complaints procedure.”

Top pic: SWNS