It's a way for council to make money, says woman fined £200 over bags of soil left while wall repaired

PENALTY NOTICE FOR FLY-TIPPING WAS EVENTUALLY CANCELLED, BUT NO APOLOGY HAS BEEN MADE

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN Local democracy reporter

A WOMAN who was fined for leaving bags of soil in front of her home has criticised a council's lack of “empathy”.

Louise Spellman, 40, from Giltbrook, first became aware she'd been issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice from Broxtowe Borough Council on June 23.

A third-party environment enforcement company called WISE, which is used by the council, told Mrs Spellman in an email that an anonymous complaint had been received about fly-tipping.

The fly-tipping related to three tonne bags of soil Mrs Spellman and her husband had left in front of their home after tree roots along the public path had caused a boundary wall on their driveway to come down.

In order to fix their wall they had bagged up the soil, intending to put it back once the wall was rebuilt.