WRONG BIN BAGS

Council bosses have fined a woman £50 for putting her rubbish out in the WRONG KIND of bin bags. Lynette Vickers got into trouble after she ran out of council-issued sacks. So she put her trash in her OWN black sacks instead and left them out the night before collection day. But they were spotted by two over-zealous wardens who ripped them open to find out who they belonged to, then hammered on Lynette’s door. The mum-of-four was stunned when told she was being fined £50 for using the wrong bags and causing an obstruction.

It is the latest in a catalogue of stupid penalties introduced by the Government and councils in recent months. Lynette is refusing to pay the penalty and has been warned she faces a court fine of up to £2,500. Lynette, of Crewe, Cheshire, said, “It’s absolutely ridiculous. I thought I was being stitched up when the wardens knocked on my door. I had no option but to put the extra rubbish out in bags. There was no way they were causing an obstruction. I’m not paying the fine. They can take me to court if they want but it’s stupid.”

The situation came about because of a delayed collection over the festive period. Lynette had to wait ten days, between December 29 and January 8, for the dustmen to do their rounds. Like any normal family, she had a lot of extra rubbish. But a notice placed on her wheelie bin said extra bags WOULD be taken. So Lynette put her rubbish in four of her own bags and tied them up.

Just before 7pm on January 7, she took them to the edge of the road for collection at 8am the next day. But within 20 minutes a warden was on her doorstep. The pre-printed penalty notice says the fine is for an “offence of leaving litter”. The warden had added that the fine is also for “the dumping of rubbish on the grassed area”. Lynette phoned wardens boss Keith Boughey who insisted the decision was right.

She said, “He said I was being fined because I hadn’t put the rubbish in council bin bags. I said I hadn’t been left any, so then he said it was because I had too many bags and they were causing an obstruction.” Lynette had to re-bag the rubbish and put it out next day. To add to the craziness, the binmen were happy to take away ALL Lynette’s rubbish, plus her Christmas tree.

Wardens for Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council have already been rapped for fining a woman for littering when she was feeding birds. Mr Boughey stood by his decision. He said, “We don’t collect bags in areas with wheelie bins, unless there has been a missed collection and rubbish is in a council bag.”

Lynette's fine is the latest of Britain’s daft new penalty laws. Traffic wardens can now fine motorists £60 for parking more than 50cm away from the kerb. Leaving your car over the edge of a parking bay can cost another £40. An empty windscreen wash bottle will set you back £60. Litter wardens have even been fining smokers for dropping fag-ends. Plans are now afoot for headteachers to fine parents £100 for taking their kids on holiday during the school term. (Source: The Sun)