Woman fined £700 in bins row

Chris Osuh

September 09, 2008

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Shocked: Victoria Clarke

A WOMAN has been ordered to pay more than £700 for leaving her bins out before collection day.

Victoria Clarke, of Lingard Street, Stockport, left eight rubbish bags on the pavement.

Stockport Magistrates' Court found her guilty of 'advancement of waste' and fined her £350, plus £350.12 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Miss Clarke had been served with a notice about her refuse habits before.

When she failed to toe the line she was given a fixed penalty notice. But when the fine wasn't paid, the householder was taken to court, where she was found guilty in her absence.

Coun Stuart Bodsworth, Stockport council's executive member for the environment, said: "Putting your waste bags out days before the collection is due makes an area look a mess.

"The bags can split allowing rubbish to spill out onto the street. It is not fair for everyone else that wants to live on a clean, tidy street.

"The council is tackling litter and mess on every front, through investing in more street sweeping both mechanical and manual and by taking on environmental crimes like advancement of waste and fly tipping.

"The council will always try to help people behave responsibly by offering information and advice. But when required it is willing to use its' powers to protect the majority of people from the selfishness of a few."

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MPs gravy train, UK (09/09/2008 at 16:51)

I don't understand this story at all. You get find for putting "bins" out and the reason it is a problem is that "bags" may burst open.

I have often wondered what people do that work overnight shifts and don't return until 9am, or people that work away on business for 2 days. Do they just never get a collection?

We asked the bulk waste dept to pick up some refuse in Manchester. One piece was a fridge and they knew that when we rang. But they refused to take it when they turned up because it was a fridge and because some of the bulk waste was glass. What am I supposed to do with it - throw it on the street?

sallyg, Lancs (09/09/2008 at 16:54)

She's no cause for complaint if she couldn't even be bothered to turn up to defend herself.

No doubt she'll be paying it off at £8 a month for th rest of her life?

Chris Green, Chorlton-cum-Hardy (09/09/2008 at 16:54)

It's good to see what "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" really means!

Is the government still letting real criminals out of prison after serving less than half their sentence?

selfexiled (09/09/2008 at 17:02)

Sounds like a load of rubbish to me.

dave pickup (09/09/2008 at 17:06)

At what point would she face a firing squad,10 bags,20 bags?
Proper criminals are getting far less severe punishments but this is an ECO crime,the new religion and money MUST be collected to pay town hall wages and pensions!
Roll on the revolution.

ebble, manchester (09/09/2008 at 17:22)

No surprise here. Councils now see their main business as raising cash to pay for the wages and index linked pensions of their bloated workforces.

Providing a service comes a very poor second. We can expect more and more of this kind of thing.

Jomov (09/09/2008 at 18:13)

It's a damn shame we can't sue the councils when (cos it happens quite regular) they fail to collect the rubbish.

this is how I see it (09/09/2008 at 18:19)

I totally agree with these fines. This is nothing to do with big brother. It's a simple operation to put the correct bin out on the right day. In my street at the moment are 2 large bags of rubbish untied left by the householder and not collected by the binmen. The householder is back home but the bags are still there. Now I am a nosey neighbour but my name is not Michael Caine!

drew-peacock, romiley (09/09/2008 at 18:21)

My neighbour was fined less than this for having no tax, mot or insurance on his car!!!..the world's gone mad.

this is how I see it (09/09/2008 at 18:38)

To add to my earlier comment she is being fined for not paying an earlier fine i.e a fixed penalty notice so the amount involved could have been less. It was her choice not to pay.

Ace Shakepseare, manchester (09/09/2008 at 18:51)

I think its called being a community and thinking of others in the community? That is why she was fined.Why should the majority of people toe the line and one person think shes above the law.This is what causes place s to look a mess.

RED OR DEAD (09/09/2008 at 19:04)

FFS if that was given to me id say so sue me go on sue me youll get nothing,then tip the bins all over around the corner.
Say im off on my hols the day before and put them out,1 its my bin and my home not theres so ill put it where i want as its private property and when i want as its private property,so ill sue for them being on my propert with out my say so.
The government going mad,cant wait till first slapped bin man complains.

Mike, Manchester (09/09/2008 at 19:20)

Binmen - law unto themselves.

(sallyg - nice to see you back)

The Evangelist33, Rochdale (09/09/2008 at 20:13)

Regarding the Tonight Programme shown on the 8 September 2008. I was appalled at the evidence shown and I hope that all rubbish leaving the UK is halted immediately until this evidence is investigated further. We have individuals in the UK who are being fined for putting rubbish in the wrong bins. I hope that Greater Manchester is not a part of this.

The environmental damage we are doing to parts of India is totally unacceptable and there is No reason why UK rubbish should leave this country. As a Christian country we have a moral duty to arrange for the rubbish to be removed and brought back to the UK.

Pippa, Manchester (09/09/2008 at 20:54)

I don't agree with fining people for putting bins out too early, but this lady had already been warned about leaving bags (I don't they they have wheely bins in Stockport) out on the pavement and had received a fixed penalty notice - I think I would have cut my losses and paid up then.....so not that much sympathy when she couldn't even attend court to argue the case.

gillykins, urmston (09/09/2008 at 22:17)

All my neighbours put their bins out the night before collection as we are told to have them out by 6:30am. does this mean we can get fined too???

Jenny (09/09/2008 at 23:08)

What is the deal with the "bins" in the UK?? Everybody seems to have a problem trying to get their rubbish picked up. It should not even be a subject that comes up? You pay your taxes etc that's it, no more time than that wasted on the subject. More people have problems with trying to get their rubbish picked up by akward bin men that will take this, wont take that, dont like the shape of your face, dont like the way you left your bin out an hour early! Being akward for the sake of it...eh, dont like the job then quit. Give us all a freakin break.

davmac, manchester (10/09/2008 at 02:23)

Yes, she should have been fined, but £700 is ridiculous.

Of course, she could always go out and do some credit card fraud to recoup the money.

If she doesn't get caught, good. If she does, she'll probably get fined £100 so she'll be quids in.

It's a joke. Thugs have been fined less for mugging the aged. Magistrates, get a life.

midway, West Germany (10/09/2008 at 08:02)

Where's you bin?I's bin in bed all day.Where's you bin?

Tezza, Tyldesley (10/09/2008 at 08:34)

If I am not there to put out my bins then my neighbour does it for me that’s what’s called community spirit, but the council don’t fine you for doing this once as this story has shown.

Neil Mcnab's Moustache, manchester (10/09/2008 at 08:40)

She should have been fined but the amount is ridiculous especially as half of it's going to solicitors!

synikal, Manchester (10/09/2008 at 08:48)

the person who goes down my road every wednesday night kicking all the bins over into the middle of the road should get a fine.

pieman1 (10/09/2008 at 09:13)

Isn't it about time Stockport joined the rest of Greater Manchester and gave residents wheelie bins ? Putting out plastic bags is bad for the environment and looks such a mess. This woman had been warned - she has only herself to blame.

Barney Gumball (10/09/2008 at 09:14)

Good result... well done Stockport. It's not as if she wasn't warned and given sufficient opportunity to change her behaviour. I'm sure that her neighbours are pleased too. There's no need to dump bin bags on the pavement. She should try recycling more of her rubbish.

adders, Co.Cavan ex Manchester (10/09/2008 at 09:46)

The papers are full of rubbish these days.
But seriously, didn`t life used to be simple?
Bins emptied once a week.
Policemen patrolling the streets.
Neighbours helping each other out.
Ah well, just shows how old I am, doesn`t it?

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