Fined £1k for leaving a bag of grass cuttings near back gate

FAMILY STUNNED AS COUNCIL REJECTS THEIR APPEAL AGAINST FLY-TIPPING PENALTY

- By RUCSANDRA MOLDOVEANU

A FAMILY was ordered to pay £1,000 by a council after leaving a bag of garden waste at the back of their home.

Adam Castledine, from Bramcote, wanted to surprise his wife while she was away caring for her father by tidying up the garden.

After mowing the lawn, Mr Castledine, 42, put the cuttings in a bag which he left near the back gate as it was too heavy for him to lift alone.

The plan was to wait for his wife to return so they could put the bag in the car and take it to the tip.

But two days later the family was hit with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping by Broxtowe Borough Council.

A neighbour had made a complaint about the bag

Mr Castledine, a father of two, said: “The bag was there for less than 48 hours and it wasn’t fly-tipped.

“You see mattresses being dumped and people throwing stuff around in town, but we're the ones being fined - it's ridiculous.