A WOMAN has been left furious after being slapped with a £400 fine for fly-tipping by the council, despite begging them for a bin for THREE years.
Georgina Searl (63), has called the local authority to reprimand them for failing to provide a blue recycling container.
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The Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent Gran explained that her cardboard was not properly disposed of because she left it without a blue bin.
Instead, she placed the bag in a plastic bag and placed it along with her other rubbish.
Georgina says that the binmen took the cardboard bag from her bin as she was suffering from Covid.
The 63 year-old said that locals started to pile their trash on top of her trash. She watched helplessly as they did so while she was self-isolating.
She was then handed a hefty £400 fine by Stoke-on-Trent City Council for flytipping – while other residents ” are getting away with it.”
Georgina, who has MS, believes she is being wrongly punished by the local authorities. After repeatedly asking for a bin, she was left with no choice.
As she struggles to maintain her head amid the cost of living crisis she faces, the Gran says she cannot afford the costly fine.
She said StokeonTrentLive“I was suffering from Covid and couldn’t get out of my house at the time because I was unwell.
“But people started digging through the bag and putting their own trash in it. I was stuck in the house, and there was nothing I could have done.
“The council took it away and then I received a fine for all the rubbish. The bin liner had my name on it. I was shocked.
“They can’t expect me to pay this fine. I have nowhere to put my recycling as I have no blue bin and it wasn’t me who put the bag of cardboard on the floor – it was the binmen.”
Georgina states that she has had to do without a blue trash bin since she moved into her home three-years ago.
The shop owner also added: ” I have told the council this before about having no blue bin, but they just said they would look into it.”
After seeking out advice from Citizen’s Advice Bureau she is now planning to fight the fine.
Georgina complained: “The council said I’ve got the bill because they think all of the rubbish belongs to them.
“But everyone else put their rubbish there, and they get away with it. It wasn’t my cardboard that was there.
“I’m sorry I put cardboard into the wrong bin. But I don’t know where to put my recycling.”
“The shop is not turning over enough money for me to pay the £400 fine. I only took home £78 last week.
“I need to find the money somewhere, but I don’t know where or how I’m going to do that. It’s impossible for me to pay it all.
“They just say it’s my responsibility to pay, but not all the rubbish is mine. Which I think is wrong. It’s caused me a lot of stress.”
The Central Recorder reached out to Stoke-on-Trent City Council in order to get their opinion.