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The Sun
08-07-2025
- The Sun
I was fined £150 for putting my bins out 4 hours too EARLY before going on hol – I'll be seeing the council in court
A HOMEOWNER who returned from his honeymoon was shocked to discover he had been slapped with a £150 fine for putting his bins out too early. Leon Wright, 40, came home with wife Amy, 34, to discover an enforcement notice had been posted through his letterbox. 5 5 5 The couple live in a flat above a row of shops in East Twickenham, southwest London. Following council guidance the pair leave their bins out on the pavement in colour coded bags. Their local authority, Richmond Council, says residents should not put their bags out before 8pm the night before collection. Wright admits that he put his bins out four hours early at 3:25pm but claims the fine is undeserved. He put his bins out at the latest possible time before leaving to Heathrow Airport. The couple then jetted off on a flight at 7:10pm for a honeymoon cruise in Greece. Mr Wright said: "I only put it out a few hours before. It was the last thing I did before we left for holiday and the latest time that I could leave it out. "I came back from my honeymoon with a fixed penalty notice from Richmond council. It said that we had to pay it within ten days, but we couldn't because we weren't even there. "It was very surprising. We had never had any problems with the council before. "I do my best to follow the rules but it was literally just a few hours before the collection window so I never thought they would send fines straight away." Scotland's £45 Garden Waste Bin Charge Sparks Outrage Ten days later, Mr Wright claims he and his wife Amy returned home to discover the fine on their doorstep. He claims the penalty is against government guidelines but the local council has "refused" to cancel it. He said: "It says in black and white on the website that you can't issue penalties for leaving bins out a few hours early, which is exactly what they have done. "They weren't in the middle of the walkway or obstructing anyone. This is just a blatant cash grab to me. 5 5 "I am not paying it. This kind of thing just can't happen. It is absolutely wrong. I will take them to court if it comes to that. "It is not the money but the principle. There is no way I am going to let them get away with it." The council fined Mr Wright under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 87. They have since agreed to offer Mr Wright an extended timeframe to pay the fine at a discounted rate of £100. Mr Wright, however, is refusing to pay a single penny to the local authority. He said: "It is definitely not what you want to see when you come back from holiday. Especially when you are trying to do your best. "My neighbours couldn't believe it. They were all shocked." A Spokesperson for Richmond Council said: "Richmond Council is committed to keeping the borough's streets clean, safe, and accessible for everyone. "To help achieve this, we encourage residents to follow the guidance on when to put waste out for collection. "Waste should only be placed out between 8pm the night before and 6am on the day of collection. When these rules are not followed, enforcement action may be taken where appropriate. "We understand that residents can sometimes make genuine mistakes, which is why there is a clear appeals process in place. What is a hack for making changing the bin easier? THERE is in fact a way to make your rubbish-collecting chores far simpler - and it involves using multiple bags. Want in on the time-saving trick? Here's what you need to do. Step 1 Take out a fresh bin liner and open it up - but don't put it in your bin yet. Step 2 Take a second bin bag, place it inside the first bag and open it up - so that they're nestled inside each other. Continue to do this until 10 bags are neatly inside. Step 3 Carefully place the entire bin bag fusion inside your bin before folding the tops over the lip. The next time you fill a bag, simply lift it up out of the bin and another one will be good to go straight away. There you go! You'll never change your bin in the same way again.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'Stasi-like' Labour council fines stunned resident £1,000 for putting his bins out a few hours early
A Labour council who fined a resident £1,000 for putting his bins out a few hours early has been accused of acting like the 'Stasi'. Clyde Strachan, 37, decided to help refuse collectors by placing his rubbish outside his West Kensington home shortly before midday in May. He then went away for a week and when he returned was faced with an 'environmental enforcement notice', which demanded he make contact with Hammersmith and Fulham Council. The engineer then received an £1,000 fixed penalty notice, stating: 'There was one large box, six bags of waste, and one food bin deposited on the pavement and left. 'It isn't collection day so it shouldn't be there. 'There is no formal right to appeal, however the council will accept representations from you within seven days.' Mr Strachan told The Telegraph: 'I spoke on the phone to one of the council officers and said I was willing to receive a warning but felt a £1,000 fine was excessive. 'I said I had put the bins out early as I was not available the next day. It was an honest mistake. I didn't feel as though I needed to grovel, but it felt like that was what he was after.' The fine has sparked criticism towards the council's 'law enforcement team'. Likening it to the 'Stasi' - the secret police who helped maintain communist power in East Germany through spying and violence. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary said: 'Instead of cracking down on genuine anti-social behaviour, the state tries to reassert itself by punishing well-meaning people for tiny infringements. 'This huge fine for putting the bins out a few hours early veers into Stasi-like control of people's lives. This man was clearly doing the right thing in the circumstances.' The fine has since been retracted. A council spokesman said: 'Mr Strachan asked for a review of the FPN on May 28 when he let us know that the reason he put the rubbish out early was that he had been going on holiday the following day. 'The following day, the council froze the fine pending a review. 'We have since cancelled the FPN as we agree that Mr Strachan made an honest mistake and is not a persistent fly-tipper.'
