Neighbours at war as mum fined £600 for leaving 'two boxes' next to bin
A mum has been slapped with a £600 fly-tipping fine - after leaving ‘two boxes’ next to her wheelie bin on collection day. Heather Twigg says the bin men had always taken additional rubbish left next to the bin.
But when the 37-year-old returned from the school run that same day, she noticed the additional rubbish had not been taken. She put it in her bin and returned it to her Fenton garden.
But the next day Heather received the £600 fine from Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
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READ: Fly-tippers strike 5,186 times in Stoke-on-Trent in 15 months ¦ More than 1,500 fixed penalty notices have been handed out by Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Heather said: “The bin men had always taken any additional rubbish without fail. If it had not been bin day or I’d dumped it up the street then fair enough - but it was bin day.
“I’ve got no need to leave the rubbish on the street. I have a car, I have a trailer, I can go down to the tip to take different things. I’ve got no need to fly-tip.”
Heather suspects one of her neighbours reported the additional waste to the council. She says a fly-tipped swing set and garden chairs had been left abandoned in the street for days without any apparent council action.
Heather added: “The fine has no time on the photos, no date, and there is nothing that’s got my name on it or says it’s mine. There is no evidence that the rubbish was mine or that I put it there. A neighbour took the photo before the bin men came and it appears the council is just taking their word for it.”
Heather has refused to pay the £600 penalty. She will now be interviewed under caution by an environmental crime officer.
A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesman advised: “The environmental crime team is investigating the matter and, in accordance with the council's zero-tolerance approach, will hold to account those who irresponsibly dispose of waste. We cannot comment further as the investigation is still ongoing.”