Criminal record for leaving bin open
A man has been fined £225 for not closing his bin lid.
Gareth Wilson-Corkhill's bin was so full with rubbish that the lid was open by four inches.
Unfortunately for Gareth a council enforcement saw the bin and issued an on-the-spot fine.
However he refused to pay the initial £110 fixed penalty and was taken to court.
After it went to court he was hit with £100 prosecution costs and a £15 surcharge bringing his total bill to £225.
Mr Wilson-Corkhill, 26, of Whitehaven, Cumbria, told The Sun: "I was in shock when I found out about the fine. I couldn't believe they would do that. I don't leave the rubbish on the floor. Every fortnight you can guarantee people's bins will be open more than mine.
"I have my rubbish collected every fortnight. There are five people in my family, three children, me and my wife. Plus I have my daughter over on weekends. We recycle everything we can. We have a black box that is always full.
"It's only an £80 fine for fly-tipping. I would have been better off doing that."
He added: "I was told I would go to prison if I didn't pay the fine."
A spokesman for Copeland council said: "We will continue to crack down on the problem of overflowing bins, which causes problems in the battle to reduce waste. Much of your waste can be recycled either via the kerb side recycling scheme, or the nearest recycling collection site."
Mark Wallace, from the Taxpayers' Alliance, said the situation was "another sorry tale of a hard working individual's life blighted by petty bureaucracy".
Don't think I ever want to go back, the rules and law are so draconian