I’ve been fined £400 for fly-tipping but council won’t show me ‘proof’…I’d never dump rubbish – I’m a litter picker

AN OAP litter picker has told how he has been slapped with a £400 fly-tipping fine after a letter addressed to him was found in rubbish.

Robert Stewart, 71, is refusing to pay up after the council demanded the hefty sum when his details were discovered on some trash dumped in a doorway.

The pensioner, who regularly reports fly-tipping and campaigns about the issue to Stoke-on-Trent North MP Jonathan Gullis, said the only explanation is that the letter was delivered to the wrong address.

Robert, of Tunstall, Staffs, said: “I am absolutely disgusted. I am forever collecting rubbish, people in this area will back me up.

“I’ve received a letter prosecuting me for £400 for fly-tipping that hasn’t been dumped by me.

“They found a letter of mine in all this rubbish. If they did, someone else received it and they disposed of it.

“I shred most of my letters. I want to see proof. When I received the fine it broke me. All I’ve ever done is try to keep this area tidy.”

Robert is calling for the fine to be scrapped and is demanding an apology from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffs.

Councillor Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for city pride and enforcement, said: “The council is maintaining its zero-tolerance approach to illegal dumping in our towns and with that comes enforcement.

“We are continuing with proactive patrolling and investigations.

“We cannot comment on individual ongoing investigations, however, should any fine remain unpaid the recipient will be invited to attend a cautioned interview where any evidence seized will be produced.”

It comes as The Sun revealed that millions of Brits face a postcode lottery when it comes to fines for littering, with some councils dishing out thousands every year – and others zero.

A student has been fined hundreds of pounds because her bin was full – and says she can’t afford to pay.

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Sarah Grealish

December 18, 2023 2:02 pm