A man who was fined £1,000 for tip fly after leaving the cardboard next to a recycling Bin has vowed to fight after the sentence is reduced.
Lee Reynolds had left the box on the floor like the four bins TESKONin New Milton, Hampshirewere overflowing with debris on May 31.
On 3 June he received a ‘illegal dumping’ citation from the New Forest District Council (NFDC) which left him feeling ‘physically ill’.
The authority claimed the facilities were emptied three times a week, but photographs taken at the time of the alleged breach showed all bins were full.
Mr Reynolds appealed the notice, arguing that the sign warning against littering was obscured by the sheer volume of rubbish.
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The NFDC subsequently downgraded his ‘offence’ from the tip to a ‘failure to control household waste’ offence, which carries a £300 fine – reduced to £150 if paid by 3 July.
Mr. Reynolds paid up, but he’s still not happy.
He said: “I have tried several avenues of appeal and basically the NFDC did not accept my argument that the signs were obscured.
“I’ve tried to meet with counselors to discuss it but, again, that’s gotten me nowhere.
“As the deadline approached, I felt I had no choice but to pay the £150, so reluctantly I did.
“It was really weighing on my mind – as a law-abiding citizen, the whole situation was causing me a lot of anxiety.
“They basically told me that the case is closed and there will be no further discussion. If I didn’t pay the fine, I would face prosecution.’
“There’s just rubbish everywhere and the whole area is a mess”
Mr Reynolds said he was not backing down and had taken the matter to the district council’s complaints process. If this is unsuccessful, he will submit a complaint to the Ombudsman of Local Government and Social Care.
He said: ‘The level of rubbish piled up is a fire hazard. There’s just trash everywhere and the whole area is a mess. It seems extremely unfair that the council fails to keep the area tidy and I’m the one who ends up with a fine.
Bins were full to overflowing and there was no capacity for extra cardboard. I saw no instructions or signage warning against leaving recycling near full containers; if signage exists, it was not visible due to the volume of debris already present.’
An NFDC spokesman said the authority would not comment on individual cases, but added: “While we understand that many residents are keen to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly, placing rubbish next to full containers at community recycling sites is fascinating.
“Fly dumping and failing to control household waste is an offence, and not only unsightly, but causes environmental risks. It can also lead to additional costs for the council, for example, where waste becomes contaminated and cannot be recycled.”
“We have seen an increase in fly tipping at this site and have been working to address this through education and awareness. The site was remodeled and additional signage installed on May 20, prior to this incident.’
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