Mother-of-one says she was made to feel like a ‘criminal’ as overzealous council official threatens to fine her for leaving a cardboard box BEHIND her recycling bin
- Leah Spicer, of Christchurch, was told she was going to get a fine over rubbish
- She says she was made to feel like a criminal before the officer relented on fine
- Council said worker was doing his job but had discretion on circumstances
A mother said she was made to feel ‘like a criminal’ after she was threatened with a fine for putting rubbish by her drive.
Leah Spicer, of Christchurch, pleaded with an enforcement officer not to hand her a £150 punishment for leaving her bin and a piece of cardboard on the pavement in front of her house.
After she said she had just lost her job, he relented and said she just needed to move it.
Today Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council backed the officer and said he was enforcing the law – but can be sensitive to each resident’s situation.
But Ms Spicer said he felt her treatment was over-the-top.
She told the Bournemouth Daily Echo: ‘The day before he took photos and then without letting me know he came back the next day to give me a fine and a criminal record.
‘I said I would move it and he said he’d come out the day before and it had been 24 hours which is why he was coming to give me a fine.
‘He read me my rights which is when I started thinking ‘what have I done’, I felt like I was a criminal, I couldn’t believe it.
Leah Spicer, of Christchurch, was told she was going to get a £150 fine over the rubbish
The council said their worker was doing his job but did have discretion in some circumstances
‘I was just in shock. I don’t work for the council but you have to give a written warning.’
Ms Spicer said she had just lost her job and wouldn’t have been able to afford the fixed penalty notice of £150.
‘At the end he said there’s no fine, so all of that to turn around and say you don’t have to pay.
‘I don’t know his reason for even doing it in the first place. It’s disgusting and needs to be addressed.
‘I would like him to be spoken to, for them to know the right way to go about it, talk to us nicely, like a human.
‘He couldn’t wait to give me the fine, it’s really sad there’s people like him who want to do that.
eah Spicer had tucked the cardboard box and clothes rack behind her bin ready for collection
Leah Spicer poses with the cardboard box and clothes rack she had tucked behind her bin
‘The council should be working with us, if it needed to be moved, tell me and I would have moved it straight away.’
Today a BCP Spokesperson backed their officer and said he had done his job properly.
They said: ‘The Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement contractors, (WISE) enforce legislation in accordance with the law and in line with our policy. They receive training and ongoing professional development to maintain the high standards we require. They are sensitive to each resident’s situation, whilst still required to investigate and enforce.
‘The contractors spoke to the resident who had left items of waste on the pavement for a number of days. Items for collection will not be collected unless placed in a bin and householders can be found responsible for waste such as this, even when it is outside their house on the pavement.
‘Residents should visit one of our recycling centres to dispose of additional waste, or store it suitably and safely on their property until the next scheduled collection.
‘BCP Council will soon launch an awareness campaign called “Your Waste, Your Duty” to highlight the work we carry out around these issues so that all residents, businesses and visitors can continue to help improve our area.’
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