A woman has been fined £400 for fly-tipping after she left a bag of clothes and bedding next to a supermarket clothing bank.
Amy-Louise May, from Boston, Lincolnshire, visited her local Asda on Lister Way to drop off a bag of items at the store’s charity recycling bank.
The 29-year-old checked two banks upon arrival on August 31, but she claims both were full, so she said she was left with no choice but to leave the bag next to the bank instead for it to be collected.
But her well-intentioned actions sparked a row with Boston Borough Council, which disputes the claim that the banks were full. It claims the banks had been emptied two hours before Ms May arrived.
The support worker claims she has received a letter through the post ordering her to pay £400 for fly-tipping, which she says she cannot afford. She insists the banks were both full.
‘How can you penalise someone for trying to do good? It’s not like I’ve just got a load of rubbish and chucked it there,’ Ms May said.
‘I was disgusted when I got the letter. I had a breakdown. Life has been hard for me as it is. I’ve got my home to pay for and my car to pay for.
‘It’s either I pay that or I pay my rent. No matter what, I’m in a bad situation. You can see what was in the bag and can see it was for charity.’
The council keeps an eye on the recycling bank via a contractor called Enfortis, a private security firm that identifies suspected offenders from the number plate of their car, which is caught on CCTV.
Councillor Callum Butler, environmental portfolio holder at Boston Borough Council, said: ‘The clothing banks were emptied on August 31 two hours prior to the fly-tipping offence.
‘The council has a zero tolerance to fly-tipping and clear signage is installed at recycling banks to advise people that any waste left outside containers on the ground will be considered as fly-tipping.’
Late last month, a 22-year-old single mother also disputed a £400 fly-tipping fine after her bins were filled with beers cans by passers-by following a boozy event.
Lily Bence said people have been regularly dumping their waste in her bin since she moved in.
She claims the issue reached a breaking point after a local bike meet on July 28 which saw thousands of visitors flock to Calne in Wiltshire.
Ms Bence claims her bins were overflowing after cans and beer bottles were thrown in by members of the public.
And she was left dismayed when the council then hit her with a £400 fine for fly-tipping.
This fine reportedly came as a result of her leaving black waste bags next to her bin – which was full and had not been collected.
Read More: Woman who left bag of items next to Asda supermarket clothing bank is fined £400
