The council was slammed in The Sun newspaper today for fining resident Lynette Vickers 50 for putting her refuse out in the “wrong kind of bin bags”.
Ms Vickers told the newspaper she would refuse to pay the fine. She said: “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.”
”Nobody else on the estate had left any bags at all“
– David Marren, Crewe & Nantwich borough council
But the council's executive director for direct services David Marren said the fine was issued because Ms Vickers dumped a large number of bags on public ground two days before a collection was due. He said: “This issue has nothing to do with refuse being in the wrong bags.
“Nobody else on the estate had left any bags at all,” he added. “The bags were not left adjacent to the property (and) the lady did not put her wheelie bin out for collection.”
Ms Vickers said she had to wait 10 days over Christmas for a refuse collection, but claimed a notice left on her wheeled bin said extra bags would be taken. But Mr Marren said where collections had been missed, only two extra bags – about a full wheeled bin's worth – would be taken.
However, the council might yet give up the fine. “It does look as though there may be grounds for the resident to claim she was confused or unaware of the rules, and on that basis, subject to the resident agreeing that there will be no reoccurrence, the penalty notice is unlikely to proceed to the next stage,” Mr Marren said.
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