Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog
Fine for binning rubbish By JOHN ASKILL

BAFFLED Andy Tierney last night blasted council busybodies over his £50 litter bin fine, saying: “I did the right thing.”
And he vowed to fight the pompous fixed penalty notice, issued for dumping two junk mail letters.
It accused him of committing “an offence under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990”. It continued: “Domestic refuse from your property was dumped into a street litter bin . . . the fixed penalty is £50.”
The council classes letters as “domestic litter”, which should not be dropped in public street bins.
Warehouseman Andy, 24, said: “How on earth can they fine me for being tidy? It’s absolute madness.
“I could have easily chucked those letters on the ground, but I put them in the bin. What has happened is a joke. The council is barmy.
“I never thought you could be fined for putting rubbish in a bin — that’s what they’re there for.”
Andy was walking from his front door to his car when his postman handed him the junk mail. He opened both letters as he strolled — then dumped them in the bin on a lamppost.

Pompous ... part of the fixed penalty notice that
landed on Andy's doormat detailing his offence

But council officials traced him from the addresses on the envelopes and issued the penalty.
The heavy-handed council letter threatened Andy with further action and a conviction if he does not pay within 14 days. But Andy, of Hinckley, Leicestershire, insisted: “There’s absolutely no way I’m paying up.
“You get fined for chucking rubbish on the ground. You get fined for chucking rubbish in the bin. So what exactly are you supposed to do?”
“To me ‘domestic refuse’ is household stuff like potato peelings and tin cans.

Load of rubbish ... Andy with ticket

“Besides, those letters didn’t even enter my house.”
Hinckley and Bosworth Council last night DEFENDED their action and denied they were being petty.
A spokesman said: “A fixed penalty notice is served to people who we believe have committed an offence.
“Our litter bins are there to keep streets tidy, as they enable the public to deposit small amounts of litter. They are not provided for household waste.”
But local councillor Julie Price said: “It seems very severe. I would prefer it if there was a warning first.” She said she would ask the authority to put warning signs on bins.
"fuck knuckle"